


Stranded: Where Time Stands Still

by Jacie_popslash (Jacie)



Category: NSYNC, Popslash
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Alternate Universe - Shipwrecked, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-23
Updated: 2008-09-23
Packaged: 2018-02-07 17:08:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1907073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacie/pseuds/Jacie_popslash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>JC, Lance and Justin find themselves stranded on an uninhabited island and later find that two others, Chris and Joey, had been shipwrecked across the island years before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: A story for Halloween  
> Many thanks to musicboxgirl for the fabulous beta!  
> Posted to AO3 on 06 July 2014.
> 
> I should have noted what the ships' names meant when I wrote this. I found the names on a web site that was recommending names for boats. I've googled the definitions now (2014), but I'm not sure the definitions are exactly the same as what I found when I wrote the story. They're probably close. For the Chasez Citlalmina, Citlalmina is noted as meaning "shooting star". For the Andromache Morgana, Andromache is noted as meaning "battle of man" and Morgana was a wicked enchantress.

For days the virus ravaged the crew and passengers of the seaward ship, Andromache Morgana. The Captain was one of the first to be claimed by death, his sailors solemn as he was buried at sea, his body wrapped in white linen before going over the rail. The First Officer took over the duties of the Captain and made what many of the sailors felt was a fatal error of judgment: he allowed the dead bodies of the passengers to remain aboard after several mothers refused to release the bodies of their dead children. The deadly virus seemed to spread more quickly and claimed more lives in a matter of days. 

The oldest of the sailors was the first to stay on deck, refusing to go below lest he become afflicted as well. After the First Officer passed away, as well as the other higher ranking officers, the old sailor found himself the only surviving member of the crew who was not sick from the virus. Fewer and fewer passengers came on deck as the weeks passed by, until only two boys, sons of passengers, came up on the deck to help the sailor with his duties, one was sixteen, the other only eleven. The old sailor taught the two young boys all they could absorb about crewing the ship. It wasn’t enough.

Finding they were the last three aboard who remained unaffected by the scourge, the three of them stayed atop the deck day and night. The old sailor feared allowing any of them to stay below, warning them they would surely become ill like the others and die. He ordered the boys to cover their mouths and noses, then bring up as much food and drinking water as they could find and all the supplies they thought may be useful. After that, he refused to allow them below deck any more.

The old sailor toyed with the decision of what to do. He could try to make land and possibly bring the virus to others, or he could just sail about the ocean until the last three lives were claimed by famine or disease. While he pondered his choices, he sailed around aimlessly as the days rolled by. He had charts and a compass, which he showed to the boys, but he lied about where they were and where they were headed. 

After studying the charts for a long while, he finally made the decision to head for an uninhabited island. They were running low on food and drinking water and had to find a place to restock their supplies. The island he chose was too far from any populated areas for the illness to spread from there. And if they all survived the virus, the sailor reasoned they would either be rescued or they could try sailing themselves back to society when they were stronger.

Then the younger boy, Joey, became ill, just as a storm lurked on the horizon. Chris stood firm in his resolve to nurse Joey himself. “We’re not sending him below.”

“If he stays on deck with us, we will become ill as well.”

“You don’t know that. And Joey needs someone to watch over him and feed him. He can’t care for himself and there’s no one down below who can care for him. You can keep your distance if you want, but I’m not going to put him below to die like the others.”

“When we get to port we can get help for the others.”

“I already know what’s below. My mom was only sixteen and unwed when she had me. I had to grow up fast. The last time I spoke to her she told me the truth. Only she and my eldest sister survived, my other sisters have already died from this plague. She told me that she and the other passengers were dying as well. They were both gone when we brought the food up. I have no family left. I know you knew they had no chance for survival, otherwise we would have left some food and supplies below. They’re all dead down there now. My family, Joey’s family. All the others. I know. I know the truth.”

The old sailor pulled Chris into an embrace. “We will build a shelter around Joey to protect him from the weather. May God bless your mother for raising such a wonderful boy. You’re smart, Chris. If anyone survives this, it will be you.”

“Not just me,” Chris assured him. “All of us. You, me and Joey.”

“I never had a family, Chris. My love has always been the sea. I lived my life at sea and I will die at sea. I feel something in my body. I’m not sure if it’s the virus or old age, but I feel I don’t have much longer to live. You must learn all you can about handling this ship. It’s too much boat for one man to handle, I know, but you may find yourself with no other choice.”

“I will learn whatever you’re willing to teach me, but you are the Captain of this vessel and you will be next time the ship makes port.”

“If I had a son of my own, I would be honored if he was like you. There is strength, honor and wisdom in you.”

Chris nodded. “Let’s get to work then. What do I need to learn first?”

The old sailor taught Chris how to navigate by the stars at night and by the compass during the day. He taught him how to handle the massive wheel and explained how it worked to guide the ship. The pair sang sea chanteys as they labored and often the old sailor told wild tales of his life on the sea as Chris listened intently, his eyes wide with imagination. Other times they chatted amiably about anything that crossed their minds. The old sailor did his best to keep things lighthearted around Chris, fearing the boy may fall into depression and lose his will to survive.

“Do you actually have a name?” Chris asked one day, his hands on the wheel as the old sailor stood beside him. “I can’t imagine you were named ‘The Old Sea Dog’ back when you were born a million years ago.”

“My name is Miles, but that’s not a good name for an old sailor. Out at sea we measure distance by knots instead of miles. And knot isn’t a really good name.”

Chris thought for a moment, then agreed, “No, knot’s not a good name!”

“You’re alright, kid.”

“Were you ever a pirate?”

“Still am. You are, too. Pirate’s First Mate.”

Chris laughed. “Then what does that make Joey?”

“Oh, when he gets better, maybe he can be our parrot mascot or something.”

“How come you don’t have a peg leg?”

“Did once. Lost it in a card game, along with my eye patch and the right to say ‘ARGH!’.”

“Are there doctors on the island we’re going to?”

“No, but there’s fresh water and fruit. We can stock up.”

“Maybe there’s a witch doctor!”

“Used to be. Until the pirates ate him!”

The pair spent their days guiding the ship and checking on Joey. When Joey was feeling better, he helped out. When he wasn’t, he slept as well as he could.

As the days flowed by, they found their food and fresh water supplies dwindling, no matter how much they tried to ration what was left. Every few days the old sailor cut their rations, until they were out completely. It was clear that the old sailor had weakened, as a cough shook his frame and he needed more rest than he had before.

“I’m sorry, Chris. I thought we would have made the island by now. I thought we could make it. It should be right here.”

“Tomorrow. I’m sure we’ll make it tomorrow,” Chris assured him yet again.

“I may not be around to see the sunrise.”

“You’re too salty to die. You’re going to save Joey and me.”

“I’m tired, my boy. I think I’m ready for a good, long rest.”

“Sleep then, I’ll watch the ship. I’ll wake you if I need help.”

“When you make that island, you must leave the ship. It’s your only chance. Take what you need from the deck, but you must not go below for a long time. Let that virus die. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” Chris assured him. “But you’ll be there to remind us.”

“You have to be strong, Chris. You’ll be in charge. You have to take care of Joey, get him back to whatever family he has left on land.”

“Okay, I will.”

“You can bury me at sea like the other sailors.”

“That sounds so cold and lonely.”

“Then leave me where I lay. My life has been cold and lonely, no reason my death shouldn’t follow suit.”

“Go get some rest, old man,” pushed Chris.

The next day brought a terrible storm, battering their ship, nearly tossing it onto its side as huge waves crested and crashed onto its deck. Joey was soaked even though Chris and the sailor had built a wall to protect him from the wind and rain.

“We’ve got to get the sails down,” yelled the old sailor as the storm grew worse. “If we don’t, the wind will take us over.”

Chris nodded and watched as the sailor tied the wheel in place with rope, then the pair made their way to the first sail and fought the wind as they lowered it. Afterward they moved on to the next. The gusting wind seemed to grow stronger with every minute and Chris could no longer tell if he was being drenched by rainwater or by the ocean waters crashing over the railing. Then he wasn’t sure if it mattered all that much. 

As they struggled against the weather, Chris noticed the pallor of the sailor had changed to a pale bluish tint. He had seen it before, on the dying below. As they were battling with the ropes and pulleys, the old sailor suddenly froze, clutching at his chest for a moment before collapsing to the deck. His eyes remained open, but he didn’t answer when Chris called to him. No matter how hard Chris shook him, there was no response. Chris knew death had finally claimed him.

Just as he was starting to stand up, the ship collided with something solid, causing it to suddenly lurch and sending Chris sprawling. He desperately held on to anything he could reach as he watched the body of the old sailor roll across the deck. When the ship settled, he went to check on Joey.

With the ship stuck on a rocky crag, the pair remained aboard and rode out the storm. Chris huddled against Joey in an attempt to keep them both warm. They fell asleep amidst the darkness of the storm, the creaking of the damaged ship and the dampness of the rain. When they woke next, the storm had blown over and a sunny day greeted them.

Chris was the first to scramble to his feet and look at what they had crashed into. It was indeed a large rock, protecting an island’s cove. Standing on deck for several minutes, he inspected the island’s beach and thought it may be a suitable place for them to stay while awaiting rescue.

“What is it?” Joey asked, coming up behind Chris.

“I think we finally hit that uninhabited island the Old Sea Dog was aiming for.”

“Hit it a little too hard, if you asked me.”

“Aye, that we did.”

“Where’s our Captain?”

Chris moved closer to Joey and hugged him. “He’s gone, Joey. Death has claimed him.”

Joey smiled, bumping his shoulder against Chris’ arm. “I guess you’re the Captain now. What say ye?”

“If I’m Captain, then you’re now the First Mate. Our first task, I think, is to make for the island. We’ll have to lower the dingy down to the water, on the cove side of the ship.”

“What about the others?”

“What others?”

“My family? My parents, my brother and sister?”

Chris motioned for Joey to sit on the deck. Embracing the boy tightly, he told him, “Joey, I know this is hard, but they’re all dead.”

“No! They’re just sick. They’re going to get better.”

“Honey, they’ve all passed on. The virus that made them sick, it killed them all. Your family, my family and the rest of the crew and passengers. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. We can’t go down there. The old sailor said it’s too risky. We have to leave it be for now.”

Chris held onto Joey for hours while they sobbed together, sharing the grief of their losses. Later in the day, Chris stood up and offered Joey his hand. “We can’t help anyone else, but we have to take care of ourselves. The old sailor told me we should look for fruit and water on the island. We have to stay on the island until we’re rescued. Come on, Joey, it’s time for us to go.”

Joey looked up at Chris, listening closely, then took his hand and rose to his feet to help. With the ship listing, it made for difficult work to move the smaller lifeboat across the deck, until Chris came up with a plan of using the ropes and pulleys meant for the sails. It took them a couple of hours, but they finally managed their task. Chris then used the ropes and pulleys to lower Joey, some tools and supplies and finally himself down to the dingy.

Chris tried to smile reassuringly to Joey as he rowed them toward their new home. “I’ll take care of you,” he promised. “I will always be there to take care of you no matter what.”

*****

JC woke up to alarms going off just before dawn. He remembered going to sleep during a storm and rough seas, his father insisting everything would be fine by morning, but they obviously weren’t. After dressing quickly, he grabbed his jacket and headed onto the deck as the ship began to list to one side. Once on the deck, he found himself ensconced in a heavy fog, so thick he could feel the moisture in the air. He was still searching the deck when his father found him.

“Josh, get the children up. We need to get into the lifeboats now.”

“What happened?”

“Now, Josh! As fast as you can. We may be going down. We need to get everyone off of the ship as soon as possible.”

As JC headed back down to the sleeping quarters, he began to realize the chaos going on around him. Some passengers were trying to pack all of their belongings while crew members were scrambling to get themselves and passengers into life vests and lifeboats, along with survival supplies.

JC made his way to the small room where his brother, sister and two of the passenger’s children were sleeping. A wave of relief washed over him when he saw his mother was already there, waking the children and getting them dressed.

JC grabbed her arm gently to get her attention. “You take Heather and Tyler. I’ll bring the boys.”

“Oh, Josh,” his mother sobbed, clinging to him. “This is horrible.”

JC pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back in gentle support. “It’ll all be fine, Mom. Just take Heather and Tyler, we’ll get to the lifeboats and we’ll all be fine.” As the boat lurched again, he quickly added, “Hurry! Take them to a lifeboat station. I’ll bring the boys.”

She gave him a hug and kissed his cheek before grabbing Heather and Tyler’s hands. “You, too, honey. Hurry with the boys.”

“We’re right behind you.”

JC let the others exit the small room before he turned his attention to the two younger boys. Lance was the older one, already dressed and grabbing a few extra things which he was wrapping into a jacket. Justin was still in the bunk, grumbling and rubbing his eyes. JC sat on the bunk beside Justin and shook his shoulders.

“Justin, come on, now. You have to get up.”

“Tired,” mumbled the boy as he stretched, his eyes still closed.

This time JC shook the boy harder. “Don’t you hear the alarms going off? The ship may be sinking. We have to get to the lifeboats. Now! Get up! We have to hurry!”

Justin blinked his eyes open and stared at JC for a moment, trying to see if he was playing a joke. But his expression was serious, so Justin obeyed and got out of bed. Before Justin was fully dressed, Lance was handing two life vests to JC, already wearing one himself. JC smiled at him, knowing Lance understood the seriousness of the situation. The ship lurched again, sending more urgency into his mission to get the boys up on deck. 

As they headed down the hallway, JC paused momentarily at his cabin to grab his pack, jacket and guitar, then waved the boys on. “Go Lance, up on deck now! Get to a lifeboat station and we’ll follow you.”

Normally they weren’t supposed to run on the ship, but JC decided this was no time to let rules prevent them from saving their own lives. JC kept one hand on Justin’s arm, guiding the boy before him as they followed Lance. 

Once out on deck, they saw nothing but chaos. Crew and passengers were yelling and running, some trying to direct others, some trying to find others. The vessel had a definite tilt to it. Lance had stopped on the deck, unsure of where to go. JC had a thought. Most of the crew and passengers were running for the bow, which was higher than the stern. JC pulled the boys toward the back of the boat, relieved to find an empty lifeboat along with a couple sailors willing to lower them down to the water’s choppy surface. It appeared that people had randomly tossed items into the lifeboat. There was a small trunk, a couple suitcases and some of the ship’s supplies. 

“Follow the beacons,” one sailor ordered them, as he began lowering their boat. “Follow the lights and sounds. Get away from the ship as fast as you can. If she sinks and you’re too close, it’ll pull you down, so make sure you get yourself clear.”

JC nodded profusely, his eyes wide with fear. “Aren’t you coming with us?”

“No, son, we still have work to do. Don’t you worry about us, JC. Just get yourselves out away from the ship.”

Their lifeboat was one of the smaller ones in back of the boat, often used for rescues or for scouting trips. There was enough room for another three people, but no one else was back there, except for the crew members who said they weren’t leaving yet. 

They seemed to hit the water hard, jerking all three boys and causing them to grab hold of the boat’s sides, gripping it tightly. It took a minute for JC to pull himself together, but once he did, he grabbed the boat’s oars and began rowing them away from the ship. That was his only thought, just to get away. 

Across from him, Justin was huddled against Lance and Lance had his arm across Justin’s shoulder, looking like a protective older brother. JC smiled, they were cute kids. He thought about his own brother and sister and turned his head, searching. After a few minutes, he felt that they must be a safe distance from the ship, so he stilled his oars and listened. The sailor had told him to follow the beacons, but he heard nothing, saw nothing. There was nothing except the heavy fog surrounding them like a dark, damp cloak, and the thundering storm.

Concern and uncertainty showed in Lance’s eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know,” JC said softly, still looking around. “I don’t know where the others are. Do you hear anything? Or see anything? There are supposed to be beacons to follow. There should be lights and horns.”

Justin curled up tighter against Lance, trying to stay warm. Lance searched through the survival kits until he found a rain poncho and a blanket to wrap Justin in.

“Why didn’t you put on your jacket?” he scolded.

“When did you become my mom?”

“Shhh, you two. No fighting. Just listen and watch for signals.”

When the boys did hear the sound of a horn, it seemed far away and of indeterminable origin. JC ran his hand through his hair and shushed the younger boys again, even though they weren’t making any noise. He tried to concentrate on the sound. The wind was loud as it blew and the water seemed noisy as it slapped against the hull of their boat. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t pick out the direction of the horn. It seemed to bounce around them like it was coming from everywhere, then nowhere as it faded into silence.

“We’re drifting,” noticed Lance.

JC put the oars back into the water, then confessed, “I don’t know which way to go.”

There was no light to guide them. No other boat. No sailors. No beacons.

“Maybe we should go back toward the ship. That way,” Lance pointed vaguely across the sea.

“The sailor said to get away from the ship and the debris.”

“But maybe we can find the others. We’re drifting away from them. I think we should go back.”

“I think we should go back, too. I want to find my mom. I don’t want her to worry about me,” added Justin.

JC certainly didn’t have any better idea himself, so he pushed the oars down, battling against the water that was pulling them along with the tide. He fought with the forces of nature until his hands were blistered and his breathing was difficult, but they had still found no sign of the others.

Settling the oars back into the boat, he looked at his hands. They were a mess of blood, blisters and rawness. “I can’t do anymore,” he confessed. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

By this time Justin had fallen asleep again. Lance slipped away from him and made his way to JC, giving him a hug. “It’s okay. You saved us. You got us away from the ship.”

“I can’t row any more. We’ll die if we just drift around at sea. We’ll die if we don’t find the others.”

“I can row,” Lance said cheerfully, taking a seat beside JC. “I know how. My dad taught me.”

“Look at my hands, Lance. I’m used to work and this is just too much.”

After a moment of thought, Lance poked through his belongings until he found an extra pair of socks, which he placed over his hands. “See? Just like wearing gloves!”

JC smiled. Lance was smart and willing to do whatever needed to be done. Relinquishing his place, JC moved over to where Justin lay sleeping, carefully picking up the boy’s head and laying it gently into his lap.

Searching through one of the survival kits, he found some fresh water and drank deeply, then wiped his mouth and offered some water to Lance. Then he watched Lance. The boy did seem to know what he was doing and was rowing with all the determination he could muster. JC only hoped it wasn’t in vain. It wasn’t long before he was lulled to sleep, curled up with Justin as he tried to stay warm.

Hours past as rain fell into their small boat, sometimes it was a hard, heavy rain and sometimes only a light sprinkle. When a hard rain fell, Lance paused his rowing every twenty minutes and scooped out all of the rain water that he could. He also found another blanket and rain poncho, wrapping them around JC and Justin, before returning to his rowing duties.

As the day wore on, the fog lifted from around them and the rain stopped for a while, leaving only an endless view of darkness and choppy water slapping against their boat, pushing and pulling it along. Lance reasoned that even if the tide was going the wrong way to lead them back to the ship, it still certainly must be going somewhere. It was also much easier to row along with the tide than trying to fight against it. At least it felt like they were going somewhere.

When JC woke again, he poked around and found some food rations which he split up between the three of them. He found they had plenty of matches and wished he could light a fire, but he figured that would only keep them warm for a short time. And then they’d be in the water without a boat. They drifted while they ate, then JC insisted on relieving Lance from rowing duty for a bit.

“Your hands, let me wrap them, okay?” offered Lance.

Justin looked around as he munched on the crackers JC had given to him. “Where are we?”

“Lost at sea, I suppose,” said JC. “At least the storm has eased up a bit.”

“Where is everyone else? Where’s my mom?”

“I don’t know, Justin. Remember how foggy it was? We couldn’t see anything or hear anything over the storm. We got separated. We’ll be okay though, I promise.”

“Are they going to come looking for us?”

“I bet they already are.”

Lance found a first aid kit and did his best to bandage JC’s wounded hands. He then insisted JC wear his socks over his hands, too, while he rowed. “It helps,” Lance promised.

JC found he couldn’t row as hard as he had when they first went into the water. He was colder, injured and exhausted. Still he tugged at the oars, as Lance continued to bail water out of the boat as needed.

*****

Two days later, Lance saw green in the distance. “Turn around, JC. Do you see what I see, or am I hallucinating. I think I see trees.”

JC paused his rowing and turned, straining to look into the distance across the ocean. “I think you’re right! Land ho! Come help me!”

With Lance at his side, each manning one oar, they rowed toward the land, leaving it up to Justin to guide them in.

“Look for a beach, some place sandy where we can actually land,” urged JC.

Justin nodded and kept his eyes on the horizon, searching for light sand against the green vegetation. “There,” he finally said, pointing. “I think there’s sand over there.”

JC turned to survey the area. He and Lance had to fight harder with the oars as the tide became wilder. They could see some large rocks between them and the beach and did their best to maneuver around them. The closer they got to land, the more water pummeled their boat. Soon Justin had to take over the duties of bailing water back over the side, but he couldn’t bail it out faster than the waves could wash it back in.

“Hurry, hurry,” he urged the others, “before the boat sinks!”

JC’s hands were too sore to go on. He said a quick prayer and kissed the cross pendant that he wore. “Justin, you’re going to have to take my oar and help row us in. I’ll take care of the water.”

The saltwater stung his wounds, sending him into a new misery as he tried to direct the boys on which way to row, even though it seemed they were both more concerned about getting to shore as quickly as possible and less about trying to steer.

After a few bumps and scrapes against boulders, they managed to get themselves through the worst part and close enough to shore that JC felt comfortable jumping out of the lifeboat in hopes of lightening the load and directing it toward the beach. At first the water was deeper than he thought and he struggled with the force of it, choking on saltwater. After a minute or two he found his feet could touch the bottom and he did his best to guide the boat toward land. Once they were close enough that the oars touched the bottom, Lance leapt out, too, helping to guide the boat onto the sandy beach. 

Once Justin jumped out and helped, too, they were able to get the boat well onto the shore and Lance tied it securely to a tree as JC collapsed to the ground.

“Is he going to die?” asked Justin.

Lance put his arm around Justin and assured him, “No, he’s just really tired. We should let him sleep.”

“Can we look around while he’s sleeping?”

“Sure! Let’s go!”

The two younger boys began running across the sand, glad to have firm ground beneath their feet once more. They found boulders to leap onto and trees to climb. After expending their energy in full, they joined JC in sleeping on the shore, all piled together.

The trio slept through the evening and throughout the night. They hadn’t slept well in the small lifeboat, as the seas tossed it about and water rained down on them. When the sun turned bright and hot the next morning, JC was the first to stretch and awaken, with Lance soon behind him. They surveyed the beach as Justin slept on. When they finally shook him awake, he rubbed his eyes and complained about his hunger.

“We need to get organized,” JC began. “We need to vote on a leader.”

“You’re the obvious choice,” Lance offered. “Justin?”

“Sure, JC’s in charge. Is there any food left?”

“Not much. And we’ll have to ration it until we find something else we can eat,” said JC sternly. “We’ll just have to make due with less.”

Justin threw his hands up in defeat. “I thought we already were making due with less.”

“I’m sorry, honey,” JC soothed, his voice dropping to a comforting tone as his hand patted Justin’s knee. “I’m sorry, but this is serious. There is no one else here to take care of us, so we all have to grow up fast and take care of ourselves. We need to make a list of things we need to do. We need to find food.”

“And drinking water,” Lance added. “Shelter.”

“And a signal fire. I think we should build a huge signal fire and light it. They’ve got to be looking for us. If they see it, we’ll be rescued.”

“Then can we eat?” asked Justin.

JC smiled and pulled Justin into a hug. “First let’s look at everything we have. I have pens and notebooks in my pack. If it’s not too wet, I can make a list.” After retrieving his pack, JC pulled out his notebooks, finding them in satisfactory condition. “The pack is waterproof,” he noted proudly. “Okay, I think we need to take a look at everything we have. Second, someone needs to look for fresh water. Without fresh water, nothing else matters much.”

Justin adjusted himself so he was lying down, his head in JC’s lap. “Why don’t we build a signal fire first and get rescued? Then we don’t have to screw around with the rest of this crap.”

Lance looked around at the tree line. “I’m not sure we’ll be able to find enough wood to keep a sustainable fire going. Maybe we should build a signal fire, but not light it unless we see ships on the horizon. Who knows how long we’ll be here? We were pulled away from the ship, who knows how far away we floated? Who knows for sure how long we were drifting or where the others are? What if they didn’t make it either? What if they’re still drifting in the ocean? Who knows if anyone is even looking for us? I think we need to look at survival first. Food, water and shelter.”

“Good plan,” agreed JC. “Why don’t you look around for fresh water? I’ll take Justin and we can see if we can find anything edible and on our way back, we can pick up some branches and leaves to make a shelter out of.”

“Why don’t we just find a cave to live in?” wondered Justin.

JC tousled the youth’s golden curls playfully. “If there is a cave on this island, it’s probably inhabited by something that would love to eat you.”

“Not if I eat it first! I’m starving!”

JC smiled and began emptying his pack. “Lance, take the empty canteens with you and fill them if you do find water. Are you going to be okay? I don’t want you to get lost or separated from us.”

Lance rose to his feet slowly, still smiling. “I’ll be fine. My daddy and granddaddy took me out fishing and hunting. I know all about surviving in the wilds and camping and not getting lost and everything.”

“Maybe you should be in charge,” JC offered.

“Nah, you’re older, you should do it.”

“Let’s make sure to be back before it gets dark out.”

Justin’s eyes grew wide. “I don’t have to wait until then to eat do I?”

“Nah, honey, we’ll find you something before then,” promised JC.

Lance took off cheerfully, heading into the brush toward a likely spot to find water. He figured water has to flow downward, so he should head toward the more mountainous areas. Without well-worn paths through the growth, he found his journey slower and more difficult than he originally thought it would be.

JC had Justin help him go through their belongings and allowed the boy three crackers to stave off his hunger for a while. He knew it wasn’t enough, but he feared having nothing left to eat. After sorting out the clothing, food, water and other supplies, JC took note of what they had and he and Justin moved everything further from the water, hoping everything would stay safe and dry while they were gone. Just before they left, JC took one of his notebooks and left it on top of everything after jotting a brief message onto the top sheet.

_SOS! Three are shipwrecked here. All males. Alive and well. We have gone to search for food and water. We will return before dark. Please wait or send help._

As the pair trudged down the beach heading south, Justin asked, “What if pirates find your note? Will they save us?”

“Of course they will. We’ll all be made cabin boys and will have to fetch the Captain’s rum when he asks and haul firewood for the cook. We’ll capture treasure and bury it and we’ll find some fine wenches and learn how to drink and say argh!”

While Lance took the axe and hacked his way into the dense brush, JC and Justin hiked down the beachfront, keeping an eye on the inland trees. They each carried a supply bag. To pass the time they sang songs and pointed out colorful tropical birds to one another. Justin picked up a long stick which he used as a walking stick and also to poke at the trees at the edge of the beachfront. 

“Do you think there are wild pigs on the island?” asked Justin.

“I don’t know. Probably not.”

“There are in _Lord Of The Flies_ , you know.”

“Yeah, I read it. But chances are, we did not happen onto the same fictional island where the book takes place.”

“But there _could_ be wild pigs.”

“I suppose.”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“Yeah, Justin. I’m hungry. But until we find food, we have to ration what we have, or else we’ll run out and then we’ll have nothing to eat.”

“Until we kill a wild pig.”

JC couldn’t help laughing at the boy’s enthusiasm, even if he truly doubted the existence of wild pigs sharing their island himself. “And if we can’t find a pig or any other food, maybe we’ll start with the youngest in the group. Kill him in his sleep and roast him over the open fire until he’s perfectly toasty.” Sidestepping, JC poked a finger into Justin’s ticklish ribs, chasing after the boy and tackling him when he ran.

“Not the youngest. We’ll have to sacrifice the _oldest_ , after all, you have the fewest years left to survive.”

“Not if I eat you first.”

“I haven’t yet begun to live my life.”

“Exactly! I have. I have something to live for, while you are still nearly a babe suckling at his mother’s breast.”

“She’ll miss me terribly.”

“I will be there to console her.”

“I don’t think she’ll like you much if you tell her you ate me.”

“Sure she will. I will tell her that a part of you lives on within me. The sweetest and most tender parts. She’ll welcome me as part of the family. I may even take your place.”

“She’d have you arrested and flung into jail.”

“Where she will come visit me just to be closer to you.”

“You’re a dork.”

“But I can tell you love me anyway!”

After another tickling episode in the sand, the pair began earnestly searching, even wandering a few yards into the greenery in their quest of food. Whenever JC found a likely looking fruit tree, he sent Justin shimmying up the trunk with promises of catching the youth if he fell.

Within a few hours, JC had his bag filled with coconuts, while Justin’s carried an assortment of other fruits they had found intending to try them all to see which would be a good source of food for them. Together they headed back to their camp, trudging slowly after their long day.

“Do you think we will ever get rescued?” asked Justin.

“Sure. It’s just a matter of time.”

“What if what Lance said was true? What if the others are stuck somewhere, too, and no one even knows to come looking for us?”

“They know. Justin, the ship has all these safety features on it. At the first sign of danger, they would have sent out a radio call, then a Mayday call and finally would have sent out a message that we were abandoning the ship. And there’s also this signaling device on the ship. The Coast Guard will home in on that signal and will start searching there. If the ship really went down, they’ll be looking for survivors. If the ship didn’t sink, someone is probably still on board and will let them know what happened. No matter what, someone will come looking for us. There are the ship’s logs, too. Those logs have a list of all the passenger names. They’ll know who to come looking for. I’m sure they’ll be looking for us soon.”

“I hope so. Either that or we need to go find those wild pigs. I don’t think I can stay full just eating fruit. I need to put some real meat on these bones.”

JC smiled and shook his head as he watched Justin continue back up the beach.

Once the returned to camp, they saw JC’s notebook right where he had left it, turned open to his scrawled SOS message. Nothing appeared to have been moved. JC nervously looked into the sky, watching the sun bearing down on the horizon as he wondered where Lance was.

As they waited, JC pulled out a bunch of bananas they had found and offered some to Justin and ate three himself. He held Justin close as they watched the sunset, then he held Justin’s head on his lap as the youth slept. Remaining awake, JC watched the stars move across the sky and he listened. It seemed like hours later that he finally heard something approaching in the brush.

“Lance? Lance is that you?”

“Yeah,” he answered, unable to hide the frustration in his voice.

“I was so worried. What happened?”

“I was hiking around looking for water and thought I could make it back faster than I did. I was hiking up on a mountainside and it was still sort of light up there, but once I got back down to the forest floor, it was already dark. I couldn’t see anything, so I just had to hack my way through. I ran into trees and tripped over brush and tree roots. It was horrible. I was going to stay where I was, but I didn’t want you to worry about me.”

“Did you find any water?”

“No.”

Holding an arm out, JC offered, “Come here. Lay down and rest. We’ll find some water tomorrow. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Dropping the empty water containers with a soft thud, Lance snuggled into JC’s welcoming arm, adjusting slightly when JC settled down to sleep.

*****


	2. Part Two

*****

The next morning, JC awoke hearing a thumping noise a short ways off and feeling a cold spot to his right. On his left, he was curled up against a warm, sleeping Justin. As gently as he could, he eased his arm out from underneath Justin’s body, then shook the numbness from it. 

After a long morning stretch, he set off down the beach to investigate the noises he heard. It wasn’t long before he came on Lance. He watched as Lance picked up a coconut and settled it between some rocks and wood he had strapped together, then with a single swing of the axe, he managed to lop off a portion of the coconut, then set about pouring a liquid from the coconut through a rolled up leaf, which funneled it into one of their water containers. JC marveled at Lance’s genius.

“Good morning, Lance.”

“Hey, JC.”

“Quite a little project you have going on there.”

“Yeah. Coconut milk is really more like water. Sort of sweet. We can drink it. It’s a good thing to find.”

“If you can get into it. You know, we almost didn’t pick them up because we weren’t sure if we could open them or if you can even eat raw coconut.”

Lance shrugged. “You can eat it if you want to. Not too appealing to me, I think, but it can be scraped out and eaten.”

“Did you see the other fruits we found?”

“Yes. That’s awesome.”

“I’m not sure what it all is, but we thought we’d bring the stuff back and try it. Whatever we like, we can get more of. There seems to be a fair amount of fruit to be found. And we saw a lot of birds. Justin wants to catch a wild pig and roast it.” JC laughed as he sat near Lance, watching him work.

“I didn’t come across any tracks. If the island has pigs, they’re not around here.”

“I told him there weren’t likely to be pigs here. I thought maybe we could catch a bird.”

Lance looked up to the sky briefly. “It will be hard to catch birds without a gun. Maybe if you can sneak up and hit them with a rock before they fly away. Not too likely, I think.”

“You seem to know a lot about this stuff. Hunting and finding food.”

Lance smiled widely. “I spent a lot of time out in the woods with my daddy and granddaddy. They taught me all about animals and hunting and surviving. They taught me to survive on my own in case I ever got lost. Daddy says anyone who goes out hunting needs to have good survival skills in case they get lost or injured.”

“It sounds like you really enjoyed those trips.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“I’m going to go wash up, I think,” said JC, standing up and eyeing some rocks near the waterline not too far away. “Justin seems to like to sleep in.”

“I do, too. But survival has to be number one. If we can’t survive, it’s not going to matter one bit how late you want to sleep.”

“I hear you. I’ll get him up after I wash up. Then we can go look for fresh water.”

“JC, let me get your boots off.”

“What?”

“Your boots. They’ve been on your feet for days. You probably can’t even get them off. Can you?”

Looking down, JC stared at the boots, digging into the sand with one. “No. It’s like they shrunk after they got wet.”

“Or your feet are swollen. Do they hurt?”

“A little.”

Lance paused in his coconut-water production and waved JC over. “Let me get them off for you.”

JC sat down, his legs straight out before him. He watched as Lance picked up a knife and began carefully cutting the top of one boot near his calf, then slowly cutting down toward his ankle. It took several minutes, but Lance finally cut away enough leather that they could pull the boots off. JC’s socks were still soaked through as well, but he managed to pull them off without much trouble. His feet bore red sores and were wrinkled from being wet for so long. As he began massaging one foot, Lance massaged the other.

“Better?”

“Definitely. Thank you, Lance.” Reaching over to Lance’s face, JC touched a scrape he hadn’t noticed before. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I told you last night in the dark, it was a rough trip back to camp. I’m covered with scrapes and bruises, but they’re all minor. They’ll heal quickly.”

Stretching out his own legs, Lance showed JC what was left of his own boots. “Leave your boots with me and I’ll make them up like this. I found some stuff in that trunk that was in the boat. I know they’re not pretty, but they still offer some foot protection from the rocks and stuff.”

JC inspected Lance’s revamped footwear. Lance had left a bit of the heel, but cut away the rest of the leather, leaving the sole. He had then used some strips of cloth and leather to lace them to his feet like sandals.

JC couldn’t resist leaning over to hug Lance. “I don’t know what we’d do without you. Seriously. I couldn’t have thought of half of this stuff. You are amazing!”

Lance smiled and blushed. “It probably would have come to you eventually.”

With a pat to Lance’s back, JC stood up. “I’ll wash, then wake up the kid and get him fed, then we’ll search the island for water. That’s today’s plan.”

“Yes Sir, Captain.”

*****

A while later Justin tiptoed over to Lance and tapped him on the shoulder causing him to jump. “Why are you sneaking around?”

“JC is over there petting his winky.”

“His winky?”

“Yeah, his wee winky.” Using his own hands, Justin gestured toward his crotch.

“What are you talking about? JC went to wash up.”

“When I woke up, I had to wee, so I went away from the camp and I heard JC moaning. And I looked and he was sitting in those rocks petting his wee willie winky.”

“Is that what your mom calls your penis?”

“Yeah, my winky. She says it’s not polite to use that other word unless you’re a doctor or teacher or something like that.”

“Is JC okay? Is he moaning because he’s hurt?”

“I don’t know. I just saw him and it was kind of strange. I wasn’t sure why he was petting his winky. I thought maybe he’s having trouble with his wee.”

“Something tells me that’s not it. Where is he?”

“Over there. Come on, I’ll show you.”

When Lance stood up, Justin grabbed his hand and began running down the beach, dragging Lance along with him. When they got to the outcropping of rocks, Justin quietly began climbing and waved for Lance to follow him. When the pair reached the top, they were above and behind JC, but could clearly see his hand pumping his cock. The ocean water still surged here, not as strongly, but enough to hide their voices.

“What’s he doing?” Justin asked, when Lance started giggling. 

“Like you said, he’s petting his winky.”

Justin rolled his eyes. “What’s he _really_ doing?”

“Big boy stuff. He’s rubbing the magic lantern.”

“Why won’t you tell me?”

“He’s buffing his banana, choking the chicken, waxing the dolphin, slapping his noodle, performing a five finger shuffle, playing his skin flute.”

Justin looked at Lance in disbelief, then turned back to watch JC until he saw the whitish spurts. “Is that the genie?”

Lance tried to suppress his laughter and pulled Justin down the rock face. Once the pair hit the beach, they both took off running at full speed. They didn’t stop until they reached their camp where they collapsed to their knees, both laughing.

“Justin. JC was masturbating. He was jacking himself off. Like when a man and woman have sex and they have an orgasm, he’s just having one by himself.” 

“Why? Momma told me to only have sex after I’m married and when I want a family. She says anything else is wrong, like it says in the Bible. It’s a sin.”

“Didn’t you have sex education classes at school?”

“Sure. They told us that girls have a period and that sex is what married people do to have babies. JC isn’t trying to have a baby by himself, is he?”

“No. He’s just. What he’s doing just feels good, that’s all.”

“Do you do that?”

Lance smiled as his eyes met Justin’s. “Sometimes.”

“Does it really feel good?”

“Sure! But if you’re momma told you to wait until you’re married, maybe you should wait. Sounds like your momma is very protective of you.” 

“Of course she is. I’m her innocent little baby boy”

Lance stopped and studied Justin for a moment. “Justin, Are you messing with me?”

“What do you mean?” Justin asked, a mischievous glint sparkling in his eyes.

“Surely you’ve heard of masturbation before. Unless your mom keeps you locked in a closet. With your hands tied over your head!”

Justin’s smile finally betrayed him as he playfully pushed Lance onto the sand. “Yeah, I just wanted to hear your professorial explanation. You should teach sex ed. You know, my mom did tell me to wait until I was married before doing sex stuff. I could marry you, though, and then it would be okay,” suggested Justin. “We named JC our Captain, so he can marry us, right?”

“Sure! And I found wedding stuff in that trunk. I used the belts and ties to make my sandal straps, but there’s a black tux, a top hat, a dress, a veil and some wedding shoes, too! I wonder if they already got married or if that’s where they were going.”

Justin was already on his feet headed to the trunk. He shrugged at Lance’s question as he began rummaging through the trunk’s contents. “This is so cool!” It wasn’t long before he had found the top hat and placed it on his head. “Looks good on me, doesn’t it?”

“It’s a little bit large.”

They both turned as JC came striding over. “Did you guys eat anything yet?”

“Yeah, I had more bananas,” Justin offered.

“Did you get all washed up?” asked Lance.

“Um, yeah. Sure.”

“What do you think of my top hat?” asked Justin, as he proudly strutted before JC, modeling the new hat.

“It’s a little too big, but I’m sure you’ll grow into it eventually. Here, let’s try this.” JC grabbed a bandana he had found and tied it over Justin’s head before replacing the top hat. “That should help it fit a little better. It will keep you from getting it all sweaty, too.”

“Lance and I are going to get married. You’re the Captain, so you get to marry us.”

“What?”

“I have the top hat, so I get to be the groom.”

“I’m not wearing that dress,” insisted Lance as he backed away.

After rummaging through the trunk, Justin had found the veil and handed it over to Lance. “Just this.” After a bit more rummaging, he pulled out the tuxedo jacket, putting it on even though it was obviously too large for him. “Now, you have to stand here on my left and JC has to stand in front of us.”

Lance settled the veil onto his head, then picked through some greenery near the tree line to make up a bouquet prior to joining Justin before JC.

“What are you guys doing? You’re not the right. I mean, you’re both guys. And you’re not old enough.”

“Well, it’s only the three of us here on the island, so I say we let democracy rule. And even if you vote against us, it’ll still be two against one, so what we vote will carry,” said Lance.

“Yeah. And we vote that guys can get married to each other here and the age limit for marriage is fourteen!” added Justin.

“I thought I was the Captain here. You can’t outvote the Captain.”

“That’s true,” agreed Lance, “but you’re the Captain of our lifeboat. You may be our leader here, but it’s also a democracy. So like, you can assign chores and ration food and stuff like that, but on social things, we get to vote. So are you going to marry us or what?”

“I just don’t see why you want to get married is all.”

“We have our reasons,” Justin explained as he shared a secretive glance with Lance.

“Okay, okay. Dearly Beloved. We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Justin and Lance. Lance, do you take Justin to be your husband in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer?”

“I do.”

“And do you, Justin, take Lance to be your husband in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer?”

“I do!”

“Are there rings?”

Justin and Lance frowned at each other, having not thought as far as the rings. “Let’s just pretend for now and we’ll find something later,” suggested Lance.

“Okay, then say, with this ring, I thee wed.”

Lance repeated the line, as he pretended to slip a ring onto Justin’s finger, then Justin reciprocated, speaking the words as he pretended to slip a ring onto Lance’s finger.

“Alright. Then I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss, um, each other.”

Lance closed his eyes as Justin leaned over, pressing his puckered lips against Lance’s.

“And now we can celebrate!” Yelled Justin as he leapt about. “Bring on the food!”

Lance and JC picked through the fruits and Lance used his knife to cut them into pieces. They spent much of the morning with Lance and Justin feeding pieces of fruit to each other and laughing as they did so. JC remained a few feet away, until they started smearing bits of passion fruit on each other, then came after him. It wasn’t long before all three had to head into the water to wash off.

Lance decided it was easier to just wear his underwear and Justin soon followed suit. JC used the knife to cut off the legs of his pants, finding the shorts far more comfortable than full-legged jeans. It concerned him to follow Lance’s example as he found himself often dealing with a hard on which he wished to hide from the younger boys. Everything seemed to turn him on, from watching the sunsets, watching the boys, handling the fruit, playing the guitar and singing. It only helped slightly when Lance and Justin moved away from him at night. Now that they were “married” they wanted to sleep together, even if it was only a few feet away from JC. He watched as they whispered and giggled together before falling asleep. It made him wonder just how many secrets there could be on one little island.

*****

While Lance continued his daily search for a fresh water source, JC and Justin harvested fruits and collected rain water in the empty coconut shells. They took Lance’s idea of using broad leaves for funnels and became fairly competent at collecting drinking water. One day when it was raining harder than normal, JC shed his clothing and lay on the beach with his mouth open, catching the raindrops as they fell.

With his eyes tightly closed, he didn’t notice Justin crawling over to him like a predatory animal. Instead of pawing at JC, Justin when straight for the kill, tenderly lapping rainwater from his stomach with a warm, sensual tongue. JC’s cock immediately responded.

JC sat up so quickly that he sent Justin sprawling across the sand. “What are you doing?”

Justin shrugged innocently. “I was thirsty. That’s all. Are you going to go rub the magic lantern now?” he asked with a crooked grin.

“What?”

“Do the five finger shuffle? Choke the chicken? Wax the dolphin?”

“Justin!”

“I was just noticing that it looks like your genie wants to come out.”

JC swiftly cupped his hands over his cock. “Justin, polite people don’t talk about such things.”

“I’ve already seen you do it.”

“Justin!”

“Behind the rocks.”

“Look, Justin. It’s just something you do when you’re older.”

“Why older? I’m already married.”

“Do you and Lance, do you do anything together?”

“Just kissing stuff. And sometimes we touch. Each other.”

“Is that why you wanted to get married?”

“Yeah. My mom always told me to wait until I was married to do any sex stuff. Now I am, so it’s okay.”

“With Lance? He’s a guy.”

“Yeah, but he’s hot and there aren’t any girls here. I think my mom would understand that. Lance says sex is a natural urge and there’s nothing wrong with it.”

“Yeah, I suppose that’s true.”

“Then why do you always go behind the rocks?”

“It’s just not something you do in front of other people.”

“Unless you’re married.”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Scrambling to his feet, JC began heading over to his cove, then soon realized that Justin was following him. “What are you doing?”

“I want to watch you rub the magic lantern.”

“Stop calling it that.”

“Spank the monkey.”

“Justin.”

“Pull your willy. Buff your banana.”

“You can’t watch.”

“Why not?”

“It’s private.”

“Do you ever listen to yourself? Dude, you are loud! It doesn’t sound private. Maybe we can start a little band, play our skin flutes together.”

“It’s okay, Justin. The emergency is over.”

“Oh no! Did I kill your one-eyed trouser snake?”

“I swear, I could kill Lance right about now.”

*****

Knowing his privacy at the nearby cove had been compromised, JC decided to go searching for a new private spot, while insisting to the others that he was going in search of fresh water. They had plenty of fruit collected and knew where to get more when needed. He started out near his cove. A rocky bluff stood tall there, offering no easy beach to walk across. JC decided to wade into the water, then swim around the bluff to see what was on the other side of it. 

The swim was further and more difficult than he had anticipated it would be. There were spots where the sea was rough, pummeling against the rocks. He managed to find some outcroppings that stood far enough above the sea that he could manage to stop and rest on them, once he got used to them being covered with bird droppings.

He looked determinedly in both directions. He had to swim his way out of this himself. Instead of pushing on too strong, he started by finding another rock to swim to, dividing his time between swimming and resting. He found it peaceful, despite the force of the ocean. He listened to the sounds of the water crashing against the rocks and the calls of the sea birds as they searched for food. He watched as they dove into the water, then wondered why he, Lance and Justin hadn’t tried fishing yet.

JC finally struggled out of the water at the first spot he saw that offered a way out. It wasn’t very beach-like, but he found that he could scramble up the rocks into the green forest. The going there wasn’t much easier, but at least he had eliminated the possibilities of drowning and getting slammed into the rocks by the water. More than once, he wished he had brought the axe with him to hack his way through the growth. As it was, he did his best to fight through and stay on his feet. His thirst was strong and he wished he had brought more drinking water with him. 

On his next break, he finished the water that he had and admitted to himself that he was hopelessly lost. He wondered how Lance managed to hike for miles a day and still find his way back to their camp with such seeming ease. After his break, he pushed on in his search, not knowing what else to do.

Midday brought him into a cove. He blinked his eyes in disbelief as he stared at a hut standing before him. He heart began to race as he ran to it, laying both hands on it, to assure himself that it was real. When he entered it he found it to be of good size and seemingly quite sturdy. It had doorways built into three sides, and each side bore at least one window, each of which had some sort of shutter that could be lashed across it.

“Wow, I can’t believe this is real ,” JC exclaimed as he wandered through the hut. He found rough makings of chairs and a table, as well as two large hammocks, touching everything he saw to assure himself it wasn’t a hallucination. There were odds and ends here and there, some books, tools, baskets, eating utensils and clothing. “Hello?” he called hopefully. “Hello? Is anyone around? Please let there be people here.”

Continuing his search, he looked out the front of the hut toward the water and thought he saw a lone figure there at the water’s edge. He left his load of canteens near the entrance to the hut and walked swiftly to the water’s edge. The figure didn’t turn to face him, but JC could hear mumbling.

“If we ignore him, he will go away. He won’t see us, if we don’t see him.”

“Hello?” JC tried again.

The figure was sitting partially in the water, wearing shorts and a hat that appeared to be woven from plant leaves. The man wore no shirt, no shoes. JC ventured closer to the man. “I didn’t realize basket weaving classes were offered on this island.”

“He’s trying to talk to us,” mumbled the figure softly.

JC watched as the man’s hands kept dipping his basket into the water, keeping it wet and pliant as he worked. “What are you making there?”

“It’s a basket. A basket for fish.”

“You put fish in there?”

“I can catch fish in there. You want to see?”

“Yes. My friends and I, we’re across the island and have been living on fruit only.”

“Lots of fish here.”

JC watched as the man walked over to a different spot, knee deep in water, then placed the basket beneath the surface for a few minutes, then jerked it up. Sure enough when the man returned to the shore, there were fish in the basket, which he proudly showed to JC before dumping them back into the water.

“Hey! Why did you let them go?”

“I’m still working on the basket. It’s not done yet.”

“We could have eaten those.”

The man shrugged as he continued his task. “Lots of fish here.”

JC watched the man work, taking note of his dark hair, twisted into dreadlocks, then captured by a bandana beneath his woven hat. He wore earrings and a silver ball necklace. 

“I’m JC. What’s your name?”

“Chris.”

“Nice to meet you, Chris.” JC offered out his hand, which Chris ignored.

“You’ve burned.”

“What?”

“Been in the water and the sun too long. You’ve gone and burned. You should wear a hat. And don’t stay in the water too long when it’s sunny. The light reflects and burns you twice as badly. You’re red as a ripe tomato. More like overripe really.”

“Perhaps you can make me a hat one day.”

“Yeah, I could.”

“So are you here alone? Or with others?”

“Joey. I have Joey.”

“Where’s Joey?”

Chris paused for a moment and looked around. “He’s around. He never goes too far.”

“How did you get here?”

“Shipwrecked.” 

JC followed Chris’ gesture out past the cove where the remnants of a ship were still stuck on the rocks.

“Storm brought us in and wrecked us.”

“I was wondering where you got the wood to build the hut.”

“Ship isn’t going anywhere. Thought we could make good use of it.”

“Looks like a big ship. Aren’t there others? More than just you and Joey?”

“Yeah, there were. We had a virus on the ship. The others were dead before we hit the rocks.”

“Wow. We were just. I’m not sure what happened. It was early morning just around dawn and the alarms were going off. Everyone was panicking and trying to get their stuff and their family. My dad was the Captain. He told me to get a couple of the passengers’ sons and take care of them. The three of us got into one of the smaller lifeboats and got separated from the others. It was raining and gray with lots of fog. I swear we couldn’t even see the ship after a couple of minutes.”

“And then you landed here.”

“We drifted at sea for at least a couple of days. I’m not sure.”

“And then you landed here.”

“Yeah, we landed on the beach. On the other side of the island. We haven’t found a fresh water source yet, but we found plenty of fruit. Do you know where there’s fresh water.”

“Sure. We have a spring.”

“You have a spring?”

“Yeah. Comes down from the mountain over there. Fresh spring water.”

“Will you show me?”

Chris looked up into the sky, as if searching for the answer, then finally agreed. “Sure, come on.”

JC followed Chris several yards to a rocky wall.

“It’s not a pool or anything,” Chris admitted, “but we learned to make it work.”

JC studied the water that splashed down. Chris had fashioned a barrel to fit against the rock face, then secured the barrel. The bunghole was knocked out and the water spilled through the hole into a makeshift trough. Past the initial trough there was a series of boards fashioned like a rain gutter that led toward the hut.

“The first shelter we built, we lost when the wet season came. The water washed up the beach. That’s why we built on top of tree stumps, to give it some height. It can handle the water now. We moved it back further from the coastline, too.”

“This beach floods?”

“All the beaches on the island do. They all flood monthly as the tides change. The water gets a bit higher during the wet season. If you’re trying to live on a beach, I would suggest you move to higher ground. If you check the tree line on the beach, you can see all the debris that gets left behind.”

“Wow. Am I glad you told me that now. We knew the tide comes up a bit now and then.”

“Twice a day.”

“Yeah.”

“But it changes a little each day.”

“I hadn’t noticed.”

“Maybe not, but it does. It’ll come up further until it covers over the beach, then it’ll recede again. Happens on a regular basis.”

“How long have you guys been here?”

Chris shrugged. “Don’t have a clue. Years. After a while, the days blend together until you don’t even notice. It’s like time stands still. Yeah, like we’re stranded where time stands still.”

“No one ever came by?”

“No one ever stopped.”

“And you just keep going?”

“What else can you do?”

“True.”

“Anyway, we used to carry the water when we needed to, but once we found the hut was stable, we built that trough and the channel. The channel leads to a barrel outside the hut. It’s raised up so it doesn’t flood, but it’s outside, so if it overflows, it doesn’t come into the hut. We can open the channel or shut it off. The trough was just easier to get water out of than that first barrel.”

“Can I fill our canteens here?”

“Sure, if you want to. But really, it won’t be safe for you guys to stay on the beach much longer. It’s safe here. We have plenty of room.”

“What about Joey?”

“Joey won’t mind,” promised Chris as he settled his hand on JC’s shoulder and turned him back toward the hut. “Isn’t that right, Joey? JC and his friends can come stay with us. Plenty of room, right?”

“Sure thing,” Joey called back.

JC blinked his eyes. Joey seemed to waver in the distance. Suddenly JC felt faint and he dropped to the ground, unconscious. Chris took off his hat and fanned JC’s face. “Too much sun. He really needs a hat.”

*****


	3. Part Three

*****

On the other side of the island, Lance took Justin’s hand in his and led him into the forest.

“Where are we going?” asked Justin.

“It’s a surprise.”

“Tell me!”

“I rather show you. It’s not far.”

Justin patiently followed. “Will we survive without water?”

“Sure, J. We’re doing fine. Between the rainwater, the coconut milk, and the moisture in the fruits we eat, I think we’re staying hydrated enough. We just have to stay positive and we’ll be fine.”

When Lance stopped, the pair was standing before a makeshift shelter, the floor of which was covered with leaves. “I made it,” boasted Lance. “I made it for us.”

Justin poked his head inside. It wasn’t any bigger than a pup-tent. “What about JC?”

“This isn’t for sleeping, Justin. It’s for, for private things. Marital things.”

“You mean sex! You built us a sex hut! The JuLa hut of sex.”

“Not really a hut, but yeah. A private place for us to be alone together.”

After they crawled inside, lying side by side, they stared into each other’s eyes for long minutes before Justin reached out to touch Lance’s chest. Moving in closer, Lance pressed his lips against Justin’s, then wrapped his arm around Justin’s shoulder, bringing them closer together. They spent most of the day exploring each other’s bodies and learning how to touch each other, caress each other.

*****

JC found himself dreaming that he was adrift at sea, only to be awakened by feeling drops of water being splashed on his face. Looking up, he saw it was Chris outside the window flicking water at him. As he shifted, he felt himself swinging slightly as he began wondering what had happened. Realizing he was on a hammock, he glanced across the room, seeing Joey resting on the other one.

“What happened?” he asked groggily.

Joey shrugged. “Too much sun, not enough water. Not enough sleep, not enough food. Who knows? But you’re going to be fine.”

“These are really nice hammocks. Are they from your ship?”

“Yes and no. We made them from the ship’s sails. They’re sturdy, that’s for sure.”

“They’re huge!”

Joey grinned. “Yeah, sometimes Chris and I like to talk and it’s more fun to lay in the same hammock than to yell across to each other, especially late at night. And we were young when we made them. We wanted to make sure we could still lay in one together when we got older.”

“How old were you guys when you wrecked?”

Joey scratched his beard as he thought back. “I was around eleven and Chris was, I think, around sixteen.”

“Wow, that is pretty young to be on your own.”

“Chris’ mom was single and had other kids, all daughters. Chris was used to helping out with them. He was used to sacrifice and caring for others. He raised me pretty much.”

“But you don’t know how long you’ve been here?”

“Seems like forever.”

Chris entered the hut and placed a hat on JC’s head, then went to sit on the hammock with Joey. “You need to wear a hat out in the sun, young man. It’s about time you get those boys of yours and come back here before night falls.”

“I was thinking how nice it would be to have fish for dinner,” JC suggested. “We can bring the fruit we have left. Fresh fish and fruit salad. Anyway, I was wondering if you would show me how to catch fish.”

“Sure thing. Come on.”

Chris leapt down and ran from the hut to the beach. Joey waited for JC and placed his arm around him as they followed Chris’ footsteps. Even though he was wearing Chris’ hat, JC realized there was a sprinkling rain falling that Joey and Chris didn’t seem to notice. He supposed they were just used to it.

“You said Chris raised you, who is going to raise Chris?” teased JC.

“He’s got his playful side, that is true, but sometimes he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. What about the boys that are with you? How old are they?”

“Justin is a precocious fourteen year old and Lance is a sixteen year old genius. If it wasn’t for Lance, I don’t know if we’d be surviving at all. I don’t think I could do it all alone.”

“What about you? How old are you?”

“Me? I’m nineteen, almost twenty. I’m officially part of the crew on my dad’s ship, I help out with the passengers, but I really want to be a singer songwriter. I have my guitar. At night sometimes after we eat, the boys and I will sit around a fire and sing for hours. Lance has an incredible bass voice and Justin has a pretty good range for being fourteen.”

“Do you want to catch fish or chat with Joey all day?” Chris yelled as he stood knee deep in water.

JC smiled as he waded out to where Chris was waiting for him. “Let’s catch some fish!”

By using Chris’ method of catching fish in the baskets, it didn’t take long to catch enough for dinner. Chris pointed out which fish were more tasty and which ones had more bones than were worth messing with. Then he showed JC their fish corral, which was long and narrow, extending several yards into the ocean and several yards onto the beach.

“We keep fish in there. They stay fresh. There are enough natural plants and smaller fish for them to eat. That way we always have fish even if we don’t feel like hunting for it.”

“I thought you said there were lots of fish and they’re easy to catch with the baskets.”

“True. That is true. But sometimes when the tides change it’s harder to fish or harder to find the fish.”

“Why did you build the corral so long?”

“Again, it’s the tides. Sometimes this beach is covered in water. That’s why it’s built so far up on the beach. When the water comes up, we tie the dingy off by the front porch, then we use that to go fishing. It’s harder to fish that way, since we don’t have rods. But we’ve managed to make things that work. I have some baskets with long sticks as handles. And other times there is less water here. We don’t want the fish we’ve caught to die when the tide goes out. We really want to keep some fish in there and hope they’ll breed. I think they do. That way, eventually we won’t have to really fish at all. We just go to the fish corral and gather what we need for the night. Safer, too.”

“Safer?”

“Yeah. Sometimes we get a shark coming into the cove.”

“Shark?”

“Yeah, man-eating sharks with lots and lots of teeth. One of them could probably swallow you whole and shit you back out before you even knew he was around. I’ve seen them, though. You have to keep a sharp eye out for things. Being a pirate is a dangerous business.”

“Pirate? You’re a pirate?”

“Aye, you scurvy dog.”

“Do you have buried treasure?”

“Aye, there be treasure buried here. Although I think it’s best if you not be looking for it.”

JC helped set up a cooking fire, then looked into the depths of greenness that were between him and the boys. “I’m not sure how to get back to them,” he confessed quietly. “When I left, I started out swimming around this huge bluff. I had to swim from boulder to boulder until I found a place to get out. Then I walked the rest of the way.”

Chris wrapped an arm around JC’s shoulders and pointed out a small mountain in the distance. “See that? I bet that’s the rocky bluff you’re talking about. I’ve been there. Joey and I have been here long enough to have investigated the island fairly thoroughly. There’s a beach off to the side of that bluff. If you start here and go in that direction, just keep walking until you hit a beach or a mountain. If you hit a beach, walk to your right. If you hit the mountain, start walking to your left. Eventually, you should find them.”

“How do we get back here?”

“Turn around and come back the way you came!”

“Easy for you to say.”

Chris faced JC, placing one hand on each of JC’s shoulders. “Follow the sun.”

“The sun?”

“You said Lance is good about finding his way and not getting lost.”

“He’s never been here before.”

“Trust in him. Describe to him how you got here and how you got back. Tell him to follow the sun. I’ll bet that between you and him, you’ll find your way back here with no problem. Trust. Have faith. Have faith that all things will work out.”

“Do you have faith, Chris?”

“Tons.”

“Do you feel things worked out for you? You can’t even remember how long you’ve been here.”

Chris smiled and patted JC’s back. “I have Joey. He is my Godsend. We are happy here, JC. Can you believe that?”

“Don’t you want to be rescued?”

“Why? We have everything we need right here. No pressures, no bills. Mostly good weather, fresh food and we can spend our days doing whatever we please, swimming, sleeping, fucking around. Whatever we want.”

“What about your families?”

Chris glanced over to the wrecked ship. “My mother and sisters, Joey’s parents and his brother and sister, they’re all there on that ship. They all died of the virus. We’re closer to them here than we would be any other place. We’re both orphans now and both of age. We have limited educations and no real job skills. What would we return to, but a world, a society that doesn’t want us? How could we find work or a place to live? How would we pay bills? We would struggle. We like it here, no stress, no crime, no poverty. We work only to improve what we have for ourselves. This works for us.”

“Don’t you want to get married, have kids?”

“I have Joey. I’m happy with him.”

JC read the look in Chris’ eyes and it finally dawned on him how close and how deep Chris and Joey’s relationship truly was. They were more than just friends, they were lovers.

*****

JC filled up two canteens for his trip back, then did his best to follow Chris’ advice. The terrain of the island was dense and uneven, covered with brush and trees and filled with gullies and washed out areas, which Chris said were from the rainy season. As JC pushed forward, fighting through the tendrils of the greenery which seemed to grab at him, he thought about Lance and praised the boy even more for being able to hike through this terrain every day in search of water and always finding his way back to their beach with such seeming ease. It was rough going and at times it seemed that the canopy of leaves above him blocked out the sky and all he could see was green and brown. Then he started noticing the other things, the fruits and flowers and the birds in the trees. If only he were hiking on a well worn path, his journey may be quite enjoyable.

A couple hours later he found himself stumbling onto a section of the beach, smiling when he saw footprints in the sand. If there were footsteps, he was certain they had been left there only by himself, Lance or Justin. As Chris suggested, JC turned right and started back up the beach, heading toward their camp. 

Before he saw the boys, he could hear them, Justin squealing and Lance’s deep rumbling laughter, then quiet. His curiosity was piqued as he neared their beach. Then he saw the pair at the water’s edge. Justin was lying on his back, naked, and Lance was on top of him, equally naked. They were kissing as the surf washed over their legs and retreated again every few seconds. JC stopped for a minute, thinking how tender, sweet and romantic the scene was, until he remembered their ages, knowing their behavior would be unacceptable by society’s standards.

“Hey, you guys! Get dressed. We need to pack up and move.”

Lance looked up in surprise. “Move? Why?”

“We’re not alone on the island!”

Justin grinned and squirmed out from underneath Lance. “You mean we’re saved?”

“Not saved. But they have a hut built and can catch fish in their cove. They’ve invited us to move over there with them.”

“Someone lives here? On this island?” asked Lance, his arms folded across his sand-covered chest.

“Yeah.”

“On purpose?”

“They were shipwrecked here.”

“How long ago?”

“I don’t know. A while.”

“Days? Weeks? Months?” After a pause, he added, “Years?”

“A few years. They’ve lost track.”

Lance’s heart seemed to visibly sink, draining the vitality from his body in an instant. “We’re never going to be rescued are we?”

“Lance, just think positive. If we pray and stay positive, it will happen. For now, we need to pack up and head over there. Chris says all the beaches around here flood every month when the tide comes up. See the debris in the tree line? He says that marks how high the tide gets.”

“How does he know what happens on our beach?” asked Justin.

JC reached out to Justin’s shoulder. “They’ve been all over the island. They’ve been here for years. Even their beach floods when the tide comes up, but they’ve built their hut up on top of tree stumps so it stays out of the water. It’s nice and roomy and they have a spring!”

Lance’s eyes lit up. “Fresh water?”

“Yes! It comes down this rock face a few yards behind the hut. Chris has built this thing, he has a barrel against the rock to catch the water, then as that fills up, it goes into a trough, then they have this like channel thing that they can open or close and it runs water to a barrel outside the hut so they can just step outside and have fresh water any time!”

“Don’t springs come out of the ground?”

“Maybe it comes out of the rocks higher up. I mean, it has to come from somewhere. Here, I filled my canteen with it. Try it,” offered JC, holding the canteen out to Lance.

JC and Justin both watched as Lance took a sip, then a gulp of the water, tasting it. “It’s good,” he finally announced. “How many people are there?”

“Two guys. Chris and Joey. They’re a little older than us, I think maybe in their twenties still. They both have beards. Chris gave me this hat because I burned so badly swimming over there. I overheated and passed out for a while.”

Lance walked over and hugged JC. “Thanks, Captain.”

“For what?”

“Finding water. Finding out this beach will flood. What would we have done if you hadn’t found these guys?”

JC rubbed Lance’s arm reassuringly. “If I hadn’t found them, I’m sure you would have come across them eventually.”

“I don’t know about that. I kept looking toward the inward part of the island and you found them on another beach.”

“Process of elimination. We would have stumbled over them eventually. Or maybe they would have found us. But for now, let’s pack. Chris said I should tell you about my route and then to tell you to walk toward the sun. I told him how amazing you are about walking into the forest and always finding your way back.”

“If we’re going to take all our stuff, maybe we should go in the lifeboat.”

“I don’t know. The ocean can be a little rough.”

“You swam through it.”

“Where I got out, I don’t think you could get a boat out there. Or through the woods. I climbed up some rocks. It was steep.”

“Then we keep going in the water until we get to their cove. We can’t carry everything over land in one trip and I don’t think we could carry the boat there anyway. We shouldn’t just leave it behind. We may need it.”

JC thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. “Let’s get packed up, everything in the boat.”

“Justin and I can row and you can tell us which way you went.”

“I’m stronger on the oars than Justin is. Maybe I should row, too.”

“It’s not too far and you’re the Captain, we should do the work and you should order us around.” Lance began grinning as he added, “Besides, I can vouch for the fact that Justin is a lot stronger than he looks.”

“He’s talking about my love muscle,” teased Justin.

JC hid his face in his hands for a moment, wondering what Justin and Lance’s moms would think if they could hear their sons now. “Just put some shorts on or something, okay?”

As quickly as they could, the trio packed everything into the life boat, then pushed it back to the water’s edge. JC scanned the beach, making sure nothing they needed had been left behind, then gave the nod for them to push their boat into the water. Once they were all seated, JC pointed them in the right direction for their journey, hoping they could find the cove and not be pulled out to sea in their attempt.

JC found this trip far easier than his early morning swimming adventure. “It’s a lot more difficult to swim this than it looks,” he told the boys. “It’s not like swimming in a pool. You have to watch out for rocks and other things.”

“What other things?” asked Justin.

“Sharks!”

“Sharks?”

“Aye, matey, there be sharks in these waters.”

Remaining calm as he tugged on his oar, Lance mused, “I hear sharks make for good eating.”

“If you can catch one before it eats you. And I sure wouldn’t be asking one for a blow job. Anyway, it was harder than I thought it would be, fighting with the tide and all. I had to stop and rest on these rocks. It’s peaceful out here, the water, the sun, the birds. I saw some of them diving into the water for fish and I wondered why we hadn’t thought of fishing. Then I get to Chris and Joey’s beach and they tell me they have tons of fish over there. They even have this fish corral where they dump fish and let them breed so they always have fish nearby.”

“Did they ever catch a wild pig?” asked Justin.

“No. They said they never saw anything like that. They said they cooked up a couple birds before, but thought it was more work than it was worth, having to pluck off all the feathers. They said the fish is a little easier. And they eat fruit of course.”

It took them well under an hour to find the cove. They could see the shipwreck as they passed and the hut standing alone on the beach as they came closer to the shore. JC was surprised no one was there to greet them. The cooking fire he had helped to prepare stood still unlit, so he gathered that Chris and Joey were waiting for them to get there before lighting it and starting the evening meal.

After tying off their boat, JC threw an arm around Justin’s shoulders. “You can eat as much as you want to now. Chris said there has always been plenty of fish here.”

The boy’s face lit up with a smile. 

“I’m surprised they’re not on the beach to meet us. I wonder where they are?”

Lance looked around. “Well, it’s not like we told them we’d be arriving at a set time. Maybe they went to get more fruit or something.”

“Maybe. Let’s check inside the hut.”

The trio carried their belongings inside the hut, but still saw no sign of the others. “Let’s just put our stuff in the corner there for now,” suggested JC. “They’ll be back soon, I’m sure.”

Justin wasted no time leaping into one of the hammocks, then laying back as it swung slightly. “This thing rocks! Literally!”

Lance soon joined him. “Big enough for two, too.”

Justin giggled. “Lance said tutu!” 

In a matter of moments, both boys were in the midst of a squealing tickle fight, which ended up with them both landing on the floor in a tangled heap. JC shook his head and walked out of the hut. To his surprise, he saw Joey back near the spring water, working near the trough.

“Hey, Joey!” he called before jogging across the sand. “I was hoping you two hadn’t just disappeared on us.”

“Nope, working on your feast here. I wanted to make something festive, something special for your first night here.”

JC watched as Joey was washing fruit in the water, then carefully cutting it into intricate designs. “Where’d you get that cutting board? That’s awesome looking.”

Joey wiped his hand across the piece of granite, knocking excess water and trimmed off bits of fruit to the ground. “It’s from the ship. Chris salvaged it and thought it would make a better cutting board than anything on the island. He was afraid of cross contamination with the fish. I didn’t even know what it was, but he said we could get sick from it.”

“Where is Chris?”

With his knife still in his hand, Joey pointed toward a trail that lead up the mountainside. “He’s probably up there. He likes to sit up there by our signal fire.”

“You guys have a signal fire?”

“Yeah. We built it when we first got here. It’s been rebuilt a few times, but it’s never been used. The only time Chris ever saw a ship out there he was so excited, but it had just rained and he couldn’t get the thing lit! He started jumping up and down and he slipped and fell. Got hurt, but never got the fire lit.”

“I didn’t know you’d ever seen a ship.”

“Never saw one that saw us. Never saw one come into the cove. Never got rescued by one.”

“We tried building a signal fire on the beach once, but it was washed away by the next morning. Then we decided we better concentrate on food and drinking water first.”

“Good plan. If you want, why don’t you go up there and tell him to come down so we can get this party started.”

“Sure. The boys are in the hut. Lance is the older one. He has straight hair and green eyes and Justin is the younger one with curly hair and blue eyes.”

JC was breathing heavily as he neared the top of the mountain. He’d had a stressful day, he gathered, with more activity than normal, between swimming, hiking, boating, fish catching and now hiking up a mountainside. He saw the signal fire at once. It looked like it hadn’t been rebuilt in a long time. And he saw Chris, too, sitting near the edge and watching out over the cove. JC went over and sat down beside him.

“We made it back.”

“I saw you come in.”

“Lance thought we should bring the boat. He said it was the only way to get everything here in one trip.”

“Probably a lot quicker than hiking through the forest, too.”

“Very true. Joey said you might be up here. He asked me to come up and tell you to come down for dinner.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“You spend a lot of time up here?”

“Yeah,” Chris admitted as he rose to his feet. “I guess I’m sort of drawn to this spot.”

“It’s nice.”

As they were headed back toward the trailhead, JC noticed what looked like a grave marked only by two sticks lashed together as a cross. “Is that the old sailor?”

“No. He died on the ship like the others. Those who died on the ship, we just left where they lay.”

“Then who’s buried here? You guys said you were the only two who made it ashore.”

Chris knelt down beside the grave and laid one hand on it, using his other hand to wipe away a tear. His voice dropped to a softer tone. “Please, JC, please keep this between us.”

Kneeling beside Chris, JC rubbed Chris’ back as he promised, “Sure. What happened? Who’s buried here?”

Chris licked his lips and took a deep breath. “Joey.”

“Joey? But I just left him. He’s down there making dinner.”

“He doesn’t realize he’s dead. We can’t tell him.” Chris turned until his eyes met JC. “I’m afraid he’ll go away if he knows and I’d be lost without him. I can’t just be here alone. I need him. I need him to stay here with me.”

“I don’t really understand, but, sure, I won’t say anything. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I mean, Joey’s fine. He’s cutting up fruit.”

“Yeah, he’s fine. Exactly.”

“So, let’s go down for dinner and you can meet the boys.”

“Yeah, we’ll go eat the boys for dinner,” Chris said as he wiped away another tear.

“Chris, meet them for dinner, not eat them for dinner.”

Finally, Chris smiled, as he bumped playfully against JC. “Yeah, that’s what I meant, beat the boys before dinner.”

JC followed Chris down the trail, then led the way into the hut where they found Justin and Lance napping together in one of the hammocks.

“They’re cute little guys,” said Chris. “They look tasty. Like tasty little lambs.”

JC smiled and laughed. “You still can’t eat them.”

“Oh, I meant they look sleepy. Like sweet, sleepy little lambs.”

“They’re just tired. They rowed while I directed. We can sleep on the floor at night.”

“Nonsense. Joey and I can share one hammock, the boys can share the other. They’re plenty big for two people. We’ll make one for you, too. You might have to sleep on the floor for a couple nights. Can’t be any worse than sleeping on the beach.”

“Can’t see the stars.”

“You can if you sleep in the right place. Just look out a doorway or window. Plenty of stars to be seen.”

“I can’t thank you guys enough. For taking us in like this.”

“Don’t mention it. It’ll be fun having someone other than Joey around.”

“Hey, now, I heard that,” called Joey from the front porch.

JC smiled and went to wake up the boys. “This is Lance and this is Justin. That is Chris and Joey, our hosts for the evening.”

“Oh jeez!” exclaimed Chris, throwing his hands in the air in mock disgust. “First we let them move into the hut, then we have to cook them up a feast for dinner and now we’re expected to entertain them as well.”

JC followed Chris out to the fish corral and helped to gather a few fish into baskets. Lance offered to help clean the fish. Between Lance and Chris, they managed to teach both JC and Justin how to cut off the heads and tails, then carefully slice off the skin, take out the guts and the bones, then cut the fish into cooking portions.

“We throw all the waste back into the cove. Fish food for the other fish,” explained Chris.

“And the sharks,” added Justin.

“Not too many sharks come into the cove, but I’ve seen them here. I’m sure they’d be happy to eat what we toss back.”

“I heard sharks make good eating. Have you ever caught one?” asked Lance.

“No. Even though Joey eats like a horse, it would still be a lot more than we could eat before it spoiled. We’d end up having to throw it out. We don’t like to waste food.”

“How are you wasting it, if the other fish are eating it?” challenged Lance.

“I never thought about it that way. I guess the other fish would eat it eventually. The fish and maybe even the birds.”

“And the other sharks!” said Justin.

Joey was busy cooking some of the fruits he had, while others he had plated up raw and artistically placed on platters. “I lit the fire while you guys were cleaning the fish. It should be ready for cooking now.”

“Thanks, Joey,” Chris offered, as he patted his friend on the back. “We got all this cooking stuff from the ship. It’s a pain to clean, but we tried cooking stuff on sticks and that was even more of a pain.”

“Yeah,” Joey agreed, “stuff kept falling into the fire and sometimes the sticks would catch on fire.”

“And sometimes the food would catch on fire and burn.”

“This is easier. And we’ve learned to season it with the plants and fruits of the island. Just to add some variety.”

JC noticed that three more large rocks had been added around the fire pit. Chris had told him that wood usually washed away with the tide, but the rocks never did. Each one was of similar size, mostly flat on the top and almost level. JC, Justin, Lance and Chris each took a seat while Joey cooked dinner, then passed around plates full of food, as well as a fork for each of them.

Justin was only two or three bites into the meal when he declared, “This is the best food ever!”

“Joey, I don’t know where you learned to cook fish, but this is amazing tasting,” said JC.

“Scrumptious!” agreed Lance.

Chris smiled, with Joey sitting at his side, “That’s why I kill ‘em and I let Joey grill ‘em. I think cooking is just in the blood of a good Italian.”

“Well, thank you one and all. I’m glad you’re enjoying the meal. I always thought Chris only said it was good because he didn’t want to have to cook himself!”

“Why would I cook myself?” asked Chris. “I’m no cannibal!”

“No, but you certainly are something else!” said Joey, rolling his eyes at Chris.

Darkness began to fall as they finished eating their meal. Chris kept adding more wood to the fire, delighting when he made sparks fly. Joey insisted he could clean the pans and dishes himself, although he did eventually accept Lance’s offer to help.

“It’s hard to make sure they’re really clean in the dark if you’re not used to it. I’m sure there will be plenty of time for everyone to wash dishes in the future,” he insisted. “With five of us here, we’ll have to split up the chores.”

JC wandered back to the hut to grab his guitar and returned to the others, sat on his rock and began playing. Chris immediately rose to his feet, donned one of his woven hats and began dancing around the fire like a witch doctor. Within minutes, he had enticed Justin to join him. Joey and Lance joined in once they returned.

After a while, Chris disappeared, then returned with a jug, offering some to JC. “It’s rum. Good rum. Lots of it on the ship.”

“Still?”

“Oh yeah, more than we can drink in a lifetime.”

JC set his guitar aside and took a long swig from the jug.

Chris took up the guitar and began playing, making up words as he went. 

JC moved onto the sand, as it was softer, until Justin grabbed his hand and forced him to his feet to join in their dance. Once Chris tired of strumming the guitar, he set it back into the hut, then returned to drink and dance with the others. When they tired, they all flopped into the sand near the fire. Justin leaned his head onto Lance’s shoulder, while Lance embraced him with one arm and kissed his forehead.

“You two seem close. Are you related?” asked Joey.

“No,” replied Lance, “we met on the boat. It turns out we only live about three hours from each other. Our moms really hit it off, so we started hanging out together.”

“Then when we got here, we got married,” added Justin.

Chris grinned. “You two are married? To each other?”

“Yeah,” explained JC. “They voted me Captain and said I could assign chores and stuff, but then later decided that we had to vote on social issues. They outvoted me before I even knew there was an election!”

Joey snickered from across the fire. “Did he just say he has an erection?”

“Election, election,” corrected JC. “Being the Captain, I performed the ceremony.”

Chris crawled across the sand to sit before Lance and Justin. “So have you two consummated your relationship?”

Justin answered yes at the same time Lance answered no. Chris grinned. “Well, that’s interesting.”

“He’s given me a blow job. Does that count?” asked Justin sleepily.

“Nope, has to be a butt fuck.”

Justin’s eyes snapped open and he sat up swiftly. “A what?”

“Butt fuck. That’s how guys have sex.”

“Yeah, but what is it?”

“You have a hole in your butt, right?”

Justin nodded slowly. 

“One of you has to stick his dick in the other one’s hole and butt fuck his brains out.”

“Ewww!” exclaimed Justin. “What if it’s all full of poop?”

“Well, you have to learn when you can and when you shouldn’t, unless you’re into that kind of thing.”

Justin sidled even closer to Lance and hid his face against Lance’s arm.

Lance and Justin fell asleep beside the fire as JC, Joey and Chris chatted into the night, before dousing the fire and moving into the hut.

“I guess you get a hammock tonight after all,” Chris said to JC, as he leapt into the other hammock to join Joey.

“Yeah, this could work out fine if we booze them up every night so they fall asleep outside.”

“They may want a little privacy, since they are married and all.”

“They’re too young.”

“Not really. They’re just inexperienced. They’re curious. They would have figured things out on their own eventually. They’re already giving each other blow jobs and who knows what else they’re doing.”

“Justin said he saw me masturbating. That was embarrassing as hell.”

“Why?”

“Finding out he actually saw me doing it.”

“So? Me and Joey watch each other masturbate all the time. We can all do it together, have one big circle jerk.”

“With those two? They’re babies!”

“They’re married. They have to learn about it sometime.”

“Something tells me that their marriage will not be recognized once they leave this island.”

*****


	4. Part Four

*****

Chris did eventually instigate a five man circle jerk, which started out fine. The five stood in a circle on the beach all naked and staring at each other. Chris and Joey had managed to create some rather slick, oily substance from plants and fruits that they claimed to have been using for years with no harmful side effects. They brought out a jar which held the substance, then each dipped their fingers into the jar then passed it on.

JC sniffed at it, before dipping his fingers into it. “Smells nice.”

Lance smiled when he felt the consistency. His cock responded to the slickness as he began rubbing it on.

Justin actually tasted it, licking a dab from his fingertip before declaring, “It tastes interesting. I can taste the fruitiness and something else, like roots maybe? It’s not bad.”

JC rolled his eyes.

“You’d really like it if I licked it off your cock!” boasted Justin.

“Are you offering?”

“Hell, no. I’m a married man! If I end up licking this stuff off of anyone’s cock, it’ll be Lance’s. And his doesn’t really need it, because it tastes great naturally.”

“I bet it’s less filling, too.”

Lance coughed to clear his throat. “Are we going to chat or whack?”

Joey and Chris chuckled at his directness.

“Okay, here’s how it works,” explained Chris, “we all take turns saying who we’re thinking of as we’re jerkin’ the gherkin.”

“Who wins?” asked Justin.

Joey laughed easily, “Everyone who comes is a winner.”

Justin folded his arms across his chest. “If it’s a game, then someone has to be a winner.”

Chris rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Well, so far it’s clear that we have a whiner!”

“Hey! I’m just saying, if it’s a game, then someone has to win and someone has to lose. That’s how games are played.”

“Like Joey says, everyone who comes, wins.”

“Something better. Like, whoever comes first has to kiss everyone else.”

“Or blow everyone else.”

Justin crinkled up his nose. “Let’s start with kissing. I think we need to know each other a little better before I let you all blow my magic skin flute.”

“Looks more like a piccolo,” teased Chris. “Okay, we all say a name that we’re thinking of, but it can really be anyone. You lose if you come when someone shouts out the name of someone who’s deemed least sexy or not at all sexy by the majority of the group. We can all vote. And we’ll go with Justin’s suggestion of loser has to kiss everyone. Not just a peck on the cheek either, we all get a good five minutes of smooching. I’ll start.”

Chris began pumping his cock and yelled out, “I’m thinking of Joey!”

Joey followed suit, claiming, “I’m thinking of Chris!”

Then the game began going downhill fast. JC blushed, saying, “I can’t think of anyone.”

“Say someone’s name,” demanded Chris. “Who do you usually think of when you jack off?”

JC closed his eyes tightly. “La, Lucille Ball.”

Lance laughed, then yelled out, “Justin’s mom!”

And Justin came immediately after that.

Chris shook his head. “Not cool, man. Moms are not sexy. They should be revered by their sons, not lusted after by them. Sick! You are a sick, sick, sick puppy. And I declare you the A number one loser.” After that, Chris left the group heading for the hut.

Justin began running after him. “I swear, Chris, my mom is totally hot!”

“Gross, Justin. You just shouldn’t think your mom’s hot.”

“But she is!”

“You still lose. Moms are off limits from now on. No moms in the circle jerk. And oh yeah, you owe me five minutes of smooching.” 

Chris puckered his lips and made kissing sounds. Justin crinkled his nose and stuck out his tongue before dashing away. Chris lunged after him, eventually tackling him on the sand and tickling his ribs.

*****

The group shared the chores, with Joey doing most of the cooking, Chris catching most of the fish and making things, Lance helped catch fish and made sure things kept working. He repaired the water troughs as needed. He also helped Chris make a larger table and more chairs by salvaging more wood from the wrecked ship. JC and Justin still wandered off to pick fruit for the group.

They had plenty of time to play as well. Chris managed to tightly weave a few discs that were similar to Frisbees. They lost a few here and there, either to the ocean, or stuck higher up in a tree than anyone wanted to climb. Chris also created a football-like game, using a large piece of fruit as a ball. They also had salvaged several decks of playing cards from the ship, along with poker chips. Chris and Joey taught the others how to play poker. Bets were often in exchange of favors or chores.

After the sunset each evening, they all still enjoyed sitting around the campfire either singing, dancing or telling stories. At night they usually shared the hut, with Joey and Chris in one hammock, Lance and Justin in the other, while JC slept on a pile of clothing they’d made into a bed on the floor. Some nights Lance and Justin wandered off into the darkness together, not returning until the next morning.

One afternoon, JC was napping on the beach when Chris decided to lie down beside him. “Are you happy, JC?”

“Sure, island life is a blast.”

“I see how you look at Lance.”

“What?”

“During the first circle jerk we did, you almost said his name, then you switched.”

“You’re imagining things, Chris.”

Chris stuck out his index finger, waving it in circles, then finally letting it land on JC’s nose. “No, I’m not imagining things. You have the hots for Lance. Admit it.”

“He’s married to Justin.”

“You think Justin is too young for him.”

“He’s closer to Justin’s age than to mine.”

“You want him. You think about him. Justin doesn’t see it. Lance may not see it, but I see it.”

“Fine. So what?”

“It’s just, I don’t think he’s going to cheat on Justin. I don’t think either of them have that cheating thing in their genes. They’ll stick together until one of them decides they don’t want to be married to a guy anymore. I’m guessing that’s going to be about, oh, maybe five minutes after we’re rescued. If and when.”

“And?”

“I just wanted to offer you one third of a relationship.”

“One third of what relationship?”

“A Chris, Joey and JC relationship. Joey and I don’t have these hang-ups about being faithful. It’s just not an issue with us. But it hurts us to see you feeling lonely and only having your own hand to keep you company. You see, by adding you into the mix, we only see more opportunities to have sex for all of us. If one of us is out working on something, the other two can get it on. That sort of thing. You don’t have to answer now. I’m just saying, the offer is out there on the table for you. Open ended offer. Whatever and whenever, you just let us know, okay?”

JC looked deeply into Chris’ eyes. He liked to think he could tell whether Chris was serious or joking around by looking into his eyes. At the moment, he felt Chris looked truly concerned. He soon felt Chris’ hand settle onto the back of his shoulder. 

“Seriously, JC, we both adore you.”

The next time Justin and Lance wandered off into the night together. JC asked Joey and Chris to stay out with him on the beach for a while longer. They ended up sleeping together underneath the stars.

*****

One day Lance followed JC and Chris up the mountainside trail. JC had told him about the view from up there, looking out over the cove and the ocean, and Lance wanted to see for himself. At the top of the trail, he saw the lone grave.

“Who’s buried there?” he asked.

JC bit his lip and looked to Chris.

Chris walked by the grave and said, “Could be anybody. Been there a long time.”

Lance never asked about it again. Instead his curiosity moved on to the toppled signal fire. “It looks like this could stand a rebuild effort.”

Chris was already sitting in his favored spot near the edge, watching over his domain. Every so often he’d pick up a small pebble or twig and toss it over the side. “Go ahead. No one is stopping you.”

“Have you ever lit it?”

“No, not really.”

“Ever see ships out there?”

“Sometimes. But there are so many variables. I mean, I have to be up here with matches and the wood has to be dry. It does no good if the wood is wet when you go to light it. It just doesn’t work. Then it has to get going before the ship moves on and they have to be looking over here. It’s harder than you think to spot a fire during the day. And at night, they probably would just think it’s someone’s cooking fire. They’re so far out, it probably looks tiny, if they can even see it at all.”

“We can make tarps from the sails to keep it covered and protect it from the rain. And if it’s a little wet or a little green, that’s a good thing. It will smoke. A smoky fire is a signal fire. Everyone knows that! And if we keep a blanket or maybe a tarp will do, we can send smoke signals. We can send out a SOS in Morse code!”

“Go ahead.”

“Come on, JC, help me.”

JC looked back at Chris, then began following Lance back down the trail to find some dry wood to haul up to the top. It took them a week to bring enough wood up and to build a signal fire that Lance approved of, which he then covered with a section of old sail.

The afternoon he finished, he tossed his arm around JC’s shoulder as they admired their work. “It’s good. We should uncover and check it every so often and rebuild it as needed. Maybe we should even spend some time up here, watching for ships. It won’t do us any good to have a signal fire if there’s no one up here watching for ships.”

JC licked his lips and moved in close, pressing them firmly against Lance’s lips, as his arms surrounded Lance’s torso. Just as Chris has said, Lance turned his head and gently pushed JC away.

“What are you doing? JC, you know Justin and I are married. We take our vows very seriously.”

“Remember when Justin lost the first circle jerk and he had to kiss everyone for five minutes each?” JC reminded him as he moved toward Lance.

“This isn’t a game.”

“I just, Lance, I care for you. We’ve done a wonderful thing here, building the signal fire back up. It’s just a celebratory kiss. I just wanted to celebrate our accomplishment.”

“JC, you know I love you like an older brother. I do, really. We can hug like we always do, but the kissing, that I save for Justin.”

JC nodded his understanding, then turned to head back down the trail. He needed a few moments to gather himself and lick the wounds of another rejection.

A few days later, when JC was taking his turn watching for ships, Joey came up to sit beside him.

“JC, are you okay?”

“Sure.”

“You seem a bit down. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Chris says you’re pining over Lance.”

JC glanced over his shoulder at the grave. “Chris says you’re dead and buried over there, but you refuse to admit it.”

Joey smiled and rested his arm across JC’s shoulders. “I’m not the one who refuses to see the truth and reality of the situation.”

The pair sat together in silence for a long while after that, watching the waves roll in and back out, watching the birds fly and swoop and the dolphins that played in the water. Before he left, Joey kissed JC on the cheek and patted his back. Once he was standing up, Joey stretched and looked up into the sky.

“I just wanted you to know, if you ever need to talk, I’ll be here for you.”

*****

{Six months later}

Justin, Lance and JC took turns spending time at the signal fire, constantly watching the ocean for signs of ships and the skies for possible rescue planes. Chris and Joey seemed disinterested in taking turns themselves, but never attempted to dissuade the others. JC often took his guitar to the summit to work on songs, while Lance and Justin were as likely to be up there together as separately. Sometimes the others ventured up the trail to chat or to keep their friends company.

On a day like many others, Lance decided to head up the trail during JC’s watch. He could hear the chords from JC’s guitar wavering through the air as he approached. “I brought you something to eat,” he offered.

“Thanks, Lance.”

“You look thin.”

“I feel fine.”

“I know. I like the songs that you write. I bet once we get rescued, you’ll be a major star in less than a year. Less than six months.”

“Thanks, Lance.”

“I mean it. Your songs have this beauty to them, but sometimes, they concern me.”

“Why?”

“They seem so sorrowful, so filled with pain. Your lyrics are so haunting, how you’re always looking for a love you believe you will never find. I think, once we’re rescued, you’re going to find the love of your life.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“There’s someone for everyone.”

“No one for me.”

Lance grinned, patting JC’s knee. “That’s what I’m talking about. You’ll find someone eventually.”

JC stilled his fingers from their strumming and faced Lance. “What if I’ve already found the one I love?”

“Then that’s a good thing, right?”

“What if they don’t love me?”

“Who wouldn’t love you? You’re a wonderful man. You’re a good person. You were there for us when Justin and I needed you the most.”

“It was you Lance. We never would have made it without you.”

“We’re a team.”

“You and Justin, you’re a team. I’m a third wheel. Or a fifth wheel.”

“We all love you. And I know, I know you do things. With Chris and Joey.”

“You said it a long time ago, Lance. It’s just a physical need.”

“There’s an emotional bond, too. I know you love all of us.”

JC swallowed hard, then admitted, “I love you. Lance, I love you. And I can’t have you because of Justin.”

“JC, I don’t know what to say.”

“He won’t want you back in the states. I will. I will always want you. There’s something so special about you, Lance. I’ve always felt it. I’ve always known it. And I know I can’t have you.”

“I, I don’t know what to say.”

JC nodded his head. “Well, you’ve already said that. I’m sorry, man. I shouldn’t have said anything. I know nothing is going to change.”

Reaching out, Lance took JC’s hand in his. “I love Justin deeply. And I love you dearly. And Chris and Joey. It’s like we’re five fingers on one hand. We just seem to go together.”

“Except you and Justin are just a little close than the rest of us.”

“I feel a bond with all of you.”

“But it’s different.”

“Yeah, it is different.”

Feeling defeated, JC dropped his head. “And you love me like a brother and it will never be more than that.”

Lance cupped JC’s chin and turned his head so they were facing each other once more. “I love you. I will always love you. I could love you as more than a brother, but I can’t.”

“Because of Justin.”

“Because I made a pledge and I intend to honor that pledge.”

“Until when? Until we’re rescued? Until Justin breaks it?”

“Don’t sell him short, JC. We’ve talked about stuff. We don’t know what will happen when we’re rescued. We can’t predict the future, but we do talk about our feelings. We want to live together and see if it still works for us.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Then we’ll go from there. But I have to live now. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow never knows. All we really have is here and now. Here and now, I have a commitment to Justin.”

“You’re a wise man, Lance. Justin is very lucky.”

“Thank you, JC.” Leaning over, Lance hugged JC, holding the embrace. “I know things aren’t always easy for you, but we all care for you. We all want you to be happy.”

“Thank you, Lance.”

Patting JC’s knee once more, Lance urged, “Now, write some happy songs!”

*****

{Six years later}

As the years rolled by Justin became taller, even taller than JC. Lance became muscular through his work. After watching Lance develop so nicely, JC and Justin both set out to build muscles themselves. They built their own workout benches away from the others, making weights from the heavier fruits, such as coconuts, strapping them to the straightest branches they found. They worked out while the others thought they were out picking fruit.

Chris had always been thought of as the unofficial leader. Joey took on the role of chief comforter. Lance was there to help anyone figure out their problems. Justin enjoyed offering his opinions to the others, whether or not they were welcome. JC felt like he never really found his place. Although he shared his guitar with the others, since it was his, he sometimes felt like the chief balladeer of their troupe and he often sat around writing songs.

One day, however, he ventured out for a swim in the cove and was surprised to meet up with a dolphin. It brought him joy as the dolphin swam with him and followed him back to shore. He couldn’t resist catching a few fish and tossing them up in the air for the dolphin to chase down and eat.

“I see a stray has followed you home,” noticed Chris. “You know once you feed a stray, you’ll never get rid of them?”

“Who says I want to? She’s friendly. She swam with me all afternoon.”

“She only wants you for your fish.”

The others gathered around as meal time approached.

“That looks yummy,” teased Justin. “A meal fit for four Kings and a Jack.”

“Who’s the Jack?” questioned Lance.

“More importantly, who’s the Jack off?” Chris asked as he pushed Justin off balance.

After Justin fell onto his ass, he scrambled to his feet and began chasing after Chris.

Joey waded into the water to meet the dolphin. “New pet?”

JC grinned as he stroked the dolphin’s slick skin. “She’s adorable. I think I will call her Kate.”

Joey shook his head with a smile and reached out to stroke the dolphin as well. “Don’t get too attached, JC. She’ll only break your heart in the end.”

“My Kate? Never! Although, Chris insists she’s only after my fish.”

“I’m sure she has a family.”

“What? You think they wouldn’t approve?”

“I think she’ll be long gone in the morning.”

Yet, Kate wasn’t gone the next morning. JC rose early and went to stretch on the beach and heard her calling to him. He wasted no time splashing into the water to go on a morning swim with her.

Over the next few weeks he taught her tricks and found that she didn’t mind if he grabbed hold of her dorsal fin, hitching a ride as she swam far more swiftly than he ever could. One of JC’s favorite tricks was when Kate would swim upside-down and allow him to lie on her belly as she swam.

Justin watched them from the beach one day, exclaiming, “Looks like JC’s waxing the dolphin again.”

No matter how much the others teased him, JC relished being the only one Kate would come to when called. She eventually allowed the others to swim with her and hold onto her dorsal fin as she swam. They even found which fruits would float and started playing water sports, despite Kate having a clear advantage in her swimming capabilities and Justin’s wanting to win everything and protesting when he didn’t.

*****

They had all lost track of how much time had past. Then the day finally came that a ship sailed close to the island, close enough that Lance could see the crew on deck from his mountainside post.

“Hey!” he yelled, jumping frantically. “Hey!” He quickly grabbed the matches they kept near the fire and struck the first one against the box. He smiled broadly when he was able to light parts of the signal fire with the first match. But he didn’t stop there. He lit more matches, lighting the signal fire in several places, hoping it would blaze quickly and be seen by the ship.

After the fire was going, he began jumping up and down and yelling again until he nearly lost his footing. Looking over the edge, he realized the fall could prove to be a deadly one, so he ceased his jumping, but proceeded to wave a cloth they kept near the fire to help signal ships. He could almost swear he saw the men on deck using binoculars and pointing toward him. Then he heard them sound their foghorn and he knew they would be saved. At that point the decided to race down the trail to alert the others.

Justin and JC were already standing on the beach a few feet from the water’s edge, staring out toward the ship.

“Do you see it?” Lance yelled as he leapt in the air, landing between them. First he hugged and kissed Justin, then threw one arm around JC’s shoulder, giving him a squeeze. “We are going home! Home! Where the buffalo roam!”

Justin laughed and shook his head. “You are such a dork.”

Lance turned to kiss Justin solidly on the lips again. “Yeah, but you love me anyway!”

As they watched a smaller motor boat racing toward them, the trio shared a group hug and all began bouncing enthusiastically as it hit them that this was real. A real ship was out there just beyond their cove, with real sailors who were going to rescue them and take them home.

As the boat approached the beach, Lance grabbed Justin’s shoulders. “We need to pack! Our stuff! We need to pack. We are going home!” 

Justin smiled for a moment longer, then cocked his head. “Where are Joey and Chris?”

By then, they could clearly read that the boat belonged to the US Coast Guard. Now to the beach, the sailors hopped from the boat and pulled it ashore.

“We saw your fire. I’m Lieutenant Wayman. We were sent in to investigate your status.”

“We’ve been stranded here for years,” Lance said. 

JC gestured wildly with his hands and spoke quickly. “We were on a ship, the Chasez Citlalmina. My dad was the Captain. One morning all the sirens were going off and he told us to abandon ship. It was early morning and foggy. We lost the others.”

“We’ll need your names.”

“I’m JC, Joshua Chasez, and this is Lance Bass and Justin Timberlake. There are two others. They were here before us, Chris and Joey.”

“Where are they?”

“Probably getting food or firewood. They can’t be too far away.”

The seamen questioned the three boys for over an hour, then allowed them to go pack. JC stood staring around the hut, then grabbed his notebooks, shoving them into his backpack. “There’s not really much worth taking,” he said. “I’m going to go look for Chris and Joey. You guys pack up whatever you want.”

As he left the hut, JC pointed to the trail which headed up to the signal fire. “I’m going to go check up there for Chris and Joey.”

Lieutenant Wayman nodded. “I’ll send some of my men with you. We need to make sure that fire is out before it spreads.”

JC nodded. They hadn’t even considered that.

Three members of the crew followed JC up to the top of the trail. Once there, they began putting out the fire as JC looked around. “I can’t imagine where those two are. They have to have heard the horn or seen the fire. Something.”

“Whose grave?”

“I don’t know. Chris once told me it was Joey, but he had to be teasing. Joey was down there with us, everyday.”

“Who was here first? Them or you three?”

“They were. I don’t know how much longer. They’d already been here for years before we landed. They were shipwrecked here. You had to have seen the boat out there on the rocks. Or what’s left of it.”

“That old wreck?”

“Yeah.”

“We were looking at that as we came in. That’s got to be at least seventy-five years old.”

“What? It can’t be.”

“Just how old are these other guys?”

“In their twenties, I guess. They’ve lost track of time.”

“If they’re off that wreck, then they must have found the fountain of youth.”

“There’s a spring.”

“Look, JC is it?”

JC nodded.

“JC, there’s just no way they are from that wreck and are in their twenties. Maybe they just told you that. We’re actually out here investigating drug trafficking. They could be part of an operation. Maybe they grow, manufacture or stash stuff here.”

“No way! We haven’t seen anyone else.”

“And they never saw a ship? Ever? In all the time they were here?”

“They said they couldn’t get up here fast enough to light the fire.”

“Hey Ensign Danzer, take a look down here.”

JC followed the Ensign over to where his crewman was standing. He looked down through the trees, rocks and other growth, but knew he wasn’t seeing what they were.

“That’s interesting.”

“What is it?” asked JC.

“We’ll have to get some equipment up here. Banfield, Rhodes, go back to the ship and bring back some climbing gear and a bag.”

“Aye, Aye, Sir.”

It seemed like a long while before the men returned. There were other men with them with climbing gear. Two of them rappelled down the steep cliff, down to a ledge several feet below. About an hour later, they began climbing back up.

“What is it?” JC asked again as he pushed closer to Ensign Danzer’s side.

He watched as Ensign Danzer opened a black bag that the climbers had brought back up with them. It was full of bones. “What do you guys think?” he asked the climbers.

“Looks like a male, definitely had a broken arm and maybe cracked ribs. Possibly a fracture to the skull here.”

“Does this look familiar?” asked the Ensign, pointing out a necklace. “Don’t touch it, just look.”

One of the climbers picked it up in his gloved hand, holding it closer to JC. “It looks like, sort of like, Chris’ necklace.”

“There are earrings, too. Did this Chris have earrings?”

“Yes, yes he did.” JC could feel the prickling sting of tears pushing forward. “It can’t be Chris, though. I just saw him this morning.”

“The body’s been here for a long time. Long enough to decompose and then some. Just how long have you boys been on this island? Is Joey buried there in the grave?”

“Chris said, Chris said he was, but he couldn’t be. He can’t be.”

Ensign Danzer stepped forward, laying his hand on JC’s shoulder. “Look, I know this has to be a difficult time for you. It can’t have been easy living secluded on this island. You’re confused. It’s understandable.”

“They were here this morning, I swear. They’re around here. They’re around somewhere.”

Turning back to his crew, he nodded at the remains. “Let’s give this poor man a proper burial.”

“Wait,” requested JC, “please wait. If it is Chris, he wants to be buried up here, beside the other grave. Beside. Joey. Just, let me get a blanket for him. Something warm. Okay? Please?”

“Sure. We’ll start digging.”

JC raced down the mountainside, jogging by the handful of sailors standing around awaiting their next orders. He grabbed a blanket from the pile of clothing he had used for a bed for so long. His heart didn’t want to believe it was Chris’ remains that had been found, but he couldn’t explain why the necklace Chris always wore was there and the earrings. Even a scrap of cloth looked like the bandana Chris liked to wear.

As he made his way back up the trail, he remembered the story Joey told of Chris trying to start the signal fire. How it had been wet up there. Chris could have so easily slipped. He could have so easily fallen and broken his arm. How Chris had slipped and fell. Joey said he had been hurt. If Joey was already dead, there would have been no one to help Chris. JC shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thoughts. He tried to remember earlier in the morning, when Chris and Joey had been right there with the rest of them.

*****

The sailors seemed to create a flurry of activity on the beach in the name of checking things out. They sent out a few small groups to search for other inhabitants of the island, but each group returned reporting no sign of other people. JC grabbed his backpack and looked at his other belongings, his guitar and a few tattered remnants of clothing. In a single swift movement, he shifted the pack across his shoulder and began walking away. Lance and Justin looked to each other, then Justin ran after JC.

“What about your stuff? Your guitar?”

“I thought I’d leave it for Chris. You know Chris and Joey enjoy singing around the campfire as much as we do.”

“But the sailors, they say, they say Chris and Joey aren’t. They’re, um.”

“They’re not coming with us. I know. That’s why I’m leaving them the guitar. And those rags? Like we’re ever going to wear those again.”

JC never stopped walking, never looked back. Justin made his way back to the hut where Lance was grabbing a few things. 

“JC’s right.”

“About what?”

“We’ll never wear these rags again. Ever.”

“What about your top hat? Sentimental value.”

Justin picked up the old hat and smiled as he worked his fingers across the brim. Then he set it down on the hammock he and Lance had shared. “It belongs here.”

After everyone had boarded the boat and returned to the ship, the Captain also gave orders for the three men to be loaned more appropriate clothing. They sent out a radio message that they had rescued three survivors that had been stranded on the island and who claimed to have been passengers on the Chasez Citlalmina. Finally, the Captain also gave the order to set sail back toward port. 

JC, Lance and Justin all stood by the railing near the stern of the ship, looking back at the island where they had spent so much time. A commotion at the side of the boat drew their attention. When JC turned his head, he saw a single dolphin swimming in the wake of their ship. His dolphin. She tugged at his heart as they continued sailing away.

When he finally pulled his eyes away from her, he looked back into the cove. There was something on the beach, he was certain of it. He glanced around until he saw what he was looking for: a crewman with a set of binoculars. After requesting permission to borrow them, he ran to the stern of the boat and focused the binoculars onto their beach. Two images looked back toward him. Joey and Chris were standing on the beach hand in hand, waving good-bye.

It only took him a moment to decide what action to take. After handing the binoculars to Lance, JC headed to one of the lifeboat stations and grabbed one of the life vests, strapping it on as he ran to the rail. No one made a move to stop him, not certain of his plans. 

Once he reached the railing, he climbed onto the top rail, standing there for a moment, precariously balancing, before diving into the ocean below. Moments later, most of the crew, along with Lance and Justin, were leaning over the edge, watching as JC began swimming toward the cove.

“Man overboard!” announced one crewmember.

“Shall we come about?” another asked.

Lance and Justin watched JC’s progress. In comparison to the ship, JC seemed to be going nowhere. Then they saw a dolphin approach JC. They watched as he patted her, pressing his head against her body before grasping her dorsal fin and allowing her to pull him through the ocean.

“He’s going back,” said Justin. “Should we go get him?”

“No,” replied Lance. “He’s doing what he wants to do. We must let him.”

“He’ll be alone.”

“He has Joey and Chris.”

Lieutenant Wayman stood beside the pair. “I had my men check on that shipwreck. That was the Andromache Morgana. It wrecked eighty-one years ago. If you ever knew anyone from that ship, they had to have been in their nineties. I think your friend may be suffering from delusions.”

Lance shook his head. “He’s over eighteen. He should be allowed to do as he wants and he obviously wants to stay.”

“He needs medical attention,” insisted the officer.

“What about his family?” asked Justin. “His pack! He doesn’t even have his notebooks, his songs.”

Lance wrapped an arm around Justin’s shoulder. “We’ll come back and visit him. His family will visit him. We’ll make sure he gets his songs back.” Turning back to Lieutenant Wayman, he added. “And if he changes his mind and wants to come back, we’ll bring him home.”

Justin lifted the binoculars to his eyes and focused in on the beach. When he pulled them down, he said, “I think he is home.”

Back on the beach, Chris smiled reassuringly to Joey as JC swam toward them. “I’ll take care of you both. Just like I promised you when we first got here, that I’d always watch over you and take care of you. I will always be there to take care of you both now, no matter what, for as long as we’re here.”

Nodding in understanding, Joey smiled and gave Chris’ hand a loving squeeze. “I know you will.”

 

**~~~END~~~  
09/23/2008**


End file.
